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JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 


JOHN  WATTS    DE    PEYSTER 
About  1880 


John  Watts  de  Peyster 


BY 

FRANK  ALLABEN 


AUTHOR  OF  "THE  ANCESTRY  OF  LEANDER  HOWARD 
CRALL,"  "CONCERNING  GENEALOGIES."  "THE  ARMS 
AND  PEDIGREE  OF  KINGDON-GOULD."  "THE  ARMS  AND 
PEDIGREE  OF  SEYMOUR;"  EDITOR  OF  "AMERICAN 
GENTRY." 


VOLUME  II 


FRANK    ALLABEN    GENEALOGICAL    COMPANY 

Number  Three  West   Forty-Second  Street    .     .     .    New  York 


Copyright,  1908,  by 
FRANK  ALLABEN  GENEALOGICAL  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 

VOLUME  II 

BOOK    IV 

LITERARY    WORK 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

XXX 

The  Approach  of  War 

11 

XXXI 

Proffer  of  Services       .        ,        .        . 

19 

XXXII 

The  Prophet  on  the  Watch  Tower     . 

37 

XXXIII 

Military  Writings  During  the  War 

■     58 

XXXIV 

Decisive  Wars  and  Battles  . 

68 

XXXY 

Shiloh 

78 

XXXVI 

South  Mountain  and  Antietam   . 

85 

XXXVII 

Fredericksburg       .... 

95 

XXXVIII 

The  Plan  of  Chancellorsville 

.     101 

XXXIX 

Jackson's  Last  Eight  . 

117 

XL 

The  Crnx  of  Chancellorsville 

126 

XLI 

The  Fruits  of  Chancellorsville   . 

143 

XLII 

Gettysburg 

154 

XLIII 

America's  Greatest  Military  Critic 

173 

XLIV 

Estimates  of  Men 

181 

XLV 

Powers  of  Prediction   . 

.     194 

421119 


CONTENTS 


BOOK   V 

BENEFACTIONS 

CHAPTER 

XLVI  The  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House 

XLVII  Hospitals  and  Schools 

XLVIII  Churches 

XLIX  Bronzes  and  Paintings 

L  The   Ferguson  Eifle     . 

LI  Colleges  and  Libraries 

LII  Personal   Traits     . 


Bibliography 

Degrees  and  Other  Honors 
Index       .... 


PAGE 

211 
219 

226 
234 
241 

247 
259 

269 

320 
323 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  about  1880   .        .     Frontispiece 
Hoisting   First   Real   American   Flag   Over  Rich- 
mond, 1865 34 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  1875 70 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  about  1882  .  .  .108 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  about  1885       .        .        .     152 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  1888 174 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  1896 198 

Bronze     Statue     of     John     Watts,     Jr.,     Trinity 

Churchyard  216 

Bronze  Statue  of  St.  Winefride,  Hudson,  N.  Y.  .  236 
Watts  de  Peyster  Library,  Lancaster,  Pa.  .  .  248 
Bronze  Statue  of  Heer  Abraham  de  Peyster  .  .  256 
Bust  of  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  1902  .  .  .260 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  1905 264 


BOOK  IV 
LITERAEY  WORK 


CHAPTEE  XXX 

THE  APPROACH  OP  WAR 

Important  as  were  the  results  of  General  de  Pey star's 
active  connection  with  the  New  York  State  troops,  and 
of  his  services  as  Military  Agent  of  the  State,  it  was 
through  his  pen  that  his  genius  found  its  suited  expres- 
sion. His  literary  work  as  a  military  critic  and 
historian  is  the  great  work  of  his  life.  His  activities 
were  turned  into  this  channel  partly  because  of  dis- 
appointments experienced  in  his  attempts  to  regenerate 
the  New  York  Militia,  but  still  more  on  account  of 
ill-health,  suffered  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life, 
which  disqualified  him  for  the  hardships  of  a  soldier's 
career. 

Finding  that  the  political  and  military  authorities  of 
the  State,  unmoved  by  his  enthusiasm,  could  not  be 
induced  to  adopt  suggestions  looking  toward  the  creation 
of  a  genuine  soldiery,  he  entered  upon  a  campaign  of  edu- 
cation. In  1850,  and  during  the  early  winter  and  spring 
of  1851,  articles  by  him  appeared  in  the  United  Service 
Journal.  "Staff  Organization,"  "Headquarters  Notices," 
"Origin  of  the  Bayonet  Eifle,"  "Staff  and  Artillery 
Organization,"  "Uniformity  of  Dress,"  "A  Vidimus  of 
the  Military  Force  of  the  Principal  European  Powers," 
"Artillery  Organization"  and  "Militia  Organization"  are 
some  of  the  titles. 

In  the  summer  and  fall  of  1852,  after  his  return  from 
his  first  tour  in  Europe  as  Military  Agent,  additional 
articles  were  published  in  the  United  Service  Journal, 
most  of  them  suggested  by  the  study  of  foreign  military 
systems.  One  was  upon  "Eifles,"  another  upon  "The 
Prussian  Needle  Eifle."  He  also  wrote  on  "Sardinia 
(Piedmont),"  "Sweden,"  "Tunis  and  Tripoli,"  and  to 
several  issues  contributed  "Correspondence  to  Editor." 

11 


12  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Eeturning,  in  May,  1853,  from  his  second  military 
tour  abroad,  and  finding  himself  crippled  for  active  field 
work  by  continued  ill-health,  with  undaunted  spirit  he 
devoted  himself  more  and  more  to  writing.  In  August, 
1853,  appeared  the  first  number  of  the  Eclaireur,  a 
monthly  military  journal  founded  by  him,  in  association 
with  Colonel  Augustus  T.  Cowman.  The  death  of 
Colonel  Cowman,  nominal  editor  of  the  first  volume, 
from  1  August,  1853,  to  1  August,  1854,  occurred  13 
September,  1854,  when  General  de  Peyster  became  editor. 
From  the  beginning  he  had  been  the  financial  support  of 
the  magazine,  as  well  as  its  chief  contributor.  His 
editorship  covered  "Volume  II,  from  1  September,  1854, 
to  1  August,  1855,  and  Volume  III,  from  1  August,  1855, 
to  1  August,  1856,  together  with  some  scattering  num- 
bers, down  to  August,  1858. 

In  1853  and  1854  he  contributed  to  it  articles  entitled, 
"Eemarks  on  the  Rank — Entire  System  of  Cavalry," 
"Military  Organization,"  "English  Military  Organiza- 
tion," "Cadres,  etc.,"  "Gymnastics,"  "The  Prussian, 
Berlin,  Fire  Extinguishing  Establishment,"  "Prussia" 
(in  two  numbers),  "The  Russian  Army,"  "The  Swiss 
Military  Penal  Code  and  Judiciary"  (in  two  numbers), 
"Russia"  (in  four  numbers),  "Gustavus  II  Adolphus, 
King  of  Sweden,"  "Leonard  Torstenson,"  "Correspond- 
ence to  Editor"  (in  three  numbers),  "Our  National 
Armories,"  "A  General,"  and  "Uniform  and  Badges  of 
Rank." 

He  published  in  the  Eclaireur  a  number  of  important 
translations,  including  Von  Hardegg's  treatise  on  the 
Science  of  the  General  Staff,  a  considerable  volume;  the 
Bersaglieri  Rifle  Drill  and  Bayonet  Exercises;  and  Von 
Hardegg's  Chronological  Tables  of  Military  Science  and 
History. 

Some  of  General  de  Peyster's  writings  during  the 
decade  preceding  the  Civil  War  disclose  an  instinctive 
sense,  if  not  a  premonition,  of  the  mighty  storm  about 
to  burst  upon  the  land.  In  his  first  military  report  he 
prophetically  wrote  of  "that  woeful  day  of  which  curious 


THE  APPROACH  OF  WAR  13 

patriots  talk  calmly,  when,  by  a  division  of  the  Union, 
two  or  three  rival  nations  put  arms  on  their  frontiers 
and  accustom  their  people  to  taxes."  Again  he  declared, 
"Although  we  do  not  need  a  nation  of  soldiers,  we  need 
such  a  number  of  those  who  really  are  so  that  we  cannot 
be  taken  by  surprise."  "If  we  do  not  wish  to  pay  foreign 
enemies  for  teaching  us  the  art  of  war,"  he  added,  "we 
must  learn  it  ourselves,  and  practice  before  they  come;" 
and  he  warned  against  the  danger  of  such  a  state  of 
unreadiness  that  we  "must  wait  until  the  end  of  the  war 
until  we  are  fit  to  oppose  our  enemies." 

In  his  "Address  to  the  Officers  of  the  New  York  State 
Troops,"  19  January,  1858,  after  speaking  of  the  bril- 
liant participation  of  raw  militia  in  a  number  of  the  great 
decisive  battles  of  history,  he  said :  "If,  then,  militia 
have  played  such  an  important  part  in  the  world's 
history;  if  religion,  civilization,  freedom  have  hung  upon 
their  conduct,  courage,  fitness  for  the  hour;  does  it  not 
behoove  militia,  particularly  in  this  country,  this  State — 
wherein  we  have  no  other  armed  force  upon  which  to 
rely — to  prepare  themselves  for  the  crisis  every  age 
presents  ?" 

In  the  same  address  he  urged  the  training  of  the  New 
York  Militia  in  connection  with  regulars  and  United 
States  ofiicers.  The  soundness  of  his  view  was  demon- 
strated by  the  act  that,  during  the  Civil  War,  the  training 
which  he  suggested  as  necessary  had  to  be  given  to  the 
Union  armies,  through  their  defeats,  before  they  became 
competent  to  deal  with  the  forces  of  secession. 

"It  is  very  doubtful,"  the  General  had  written, 
"judging  from  what  has  transpired  since  our  very  first 
essays  in  arms,  if  there  is  any  people  in  the  world  who 
so  soon  become  soldiers  as  our  own,  and  therefore  it  is 
a  great  pity,  as  we  have  one  of  the  finest,  if  not  the  finest, 
military  institutions  in  the  world — West  Point — that 
our  State  troops  are  not  enabled  to  profit  by  the  instruc- 
tion imparted  thereat,  by  being  drilled,  or  partially 
commanded,  or  serving  with  troops  drilled  and  com- 
manded, by  pupils  of  that  wonderful  Academy. 


14  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"The  proposition  for  a  camp  of  Regulars  and  State 
troops  combined  has  been  mooted  more  than  once,  but 
unfortunately  never  carried  into  execution, 

"The  non-formation  of  such  a  camp  is  by  no  means 
extraordinary  to  me,  when  we  recollect  that  my  proposi- 
tion, while  I  was  Adjutant-General,  for  the  formation  of 
a  State  Camp  of  Instruction — absolutely  called  for  by 
law — met  with  opposition  where  it  was  least  to  be 
expected. 

"The  most  experienced  officers  believe  that  the  joint 
service  of  Regulars  and  Militia  will  do  more  to  make 
soldiers  of  the  latter  than  years  of  service,  if  the  latter 
are  left  to  themselves.  The  best  Militia  Regiments  I 
have  ever  seen  cannot  divest  themselves  entirely  of 
extraneous  flourishes,  whereas  there  can  be  no  humbug 
about  the  exercises  of  the  Regulars. 

"The  only  country,  however,  that  I  know  of,  which 
renders  such  a  conjunction  of  Militia  and  Regulars 
obligatory,  is  Holland — and  in  this,  as  in  every  other 
case,  the  Dutch  government  evinces  exquisite  practical 
judgment. 

"Thus  Militia  learn  their  duty,  and  the  Regulars 
acquire  that  enthusiasm — that  martial  rejuvenescence — 
which  nothing  but  youth  and  a  generous  emulation  can 
awaken. 

"This  principle,  this  tie,  has  more  than  once  saved  a 
cause  and  an  army ;  and,  fostered  as  it  should  be,  between 
our  Regular  army  and  our  Uniformed  Militia,  in  case 
of  sudden  war,  will  save  our  country." 

These  admonitions  fell  upon  deaf  ears,  and  the  seces- 
sion of  the  Southern  States  disclosed  a  condition  of 
unpreparedness,  on  the  part  of  the  North,  which  necessi- 
tated scores  of  fruitless  but  frightful  battles,  with  the 
sacrifice  of  thousands  of  lives,  in  order  to  weld  our 
officers  and  soldiers  into  a. military  machine  capable  of 
grappling  with  the  situation.  Had  General  de  Peyster's 
recommendations  been  followed,  the  transformation  into 
a  true  soldiery  of  the  militia  of  New  York  State 
alone  would  have  furnished  priceless  regiments.     Thrown 


THE  APPROACH  OF  WAR  15 

into  the  straggle  upon  the  first  call  for  volunteers,  to 
secure  a  decisive  victory  instead  of  the  rout  at  Bull 
Run,  they  might  have  changed  the  history  of  the  war. 
But  this  was  not  to  be.  Providence  decreed  a  life-and- 
death  struggle,  in  order  that  the  issues  might  be  settled, 
once  and  forever. 

Upon  the  termination  of  his  active  connection  with 
the  militia  of  New  York,  in  1856,  General  de  Peyster 
published  his  "History  of  the  Life  of  Leonard  Torsten- 
son,''  and  the  "Dutch  (Hollander)  Valaslavas."  In 
1857  he  put  forth  "The  United  States  Expedition  against 
the  Mormons,"  "The  Dutch  at  the  North  Pole  and  the 
Dutch  in  Maine,"  and  "The  City  of  New  York."  His 
publications  in  1858  include  "History  of  Carausius,  the 
Dutch  Augustus,"  a  work  of  three  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  pages,  including  an  account  of  the  Menappii,  or 
ancient  Dutch,  "The  Battle  of  the  Sound  or  Baltic," 
"An  Address  to  the  Ofiicers  of  the  New  York  State 
Troops,"  "The  Writers  of  Piedmont,"  and  "Proofs  Con- 
sidered on  the  Early  Settlement  of  Arcadie  by  the 
Dutch." 

To  the  Eclaireur  of  1855  and  1856  he  contributed  the 
following  articles:  "The  Battle  of  Aughrim,"  "Remarks 
on  Uniform,"  "Heavy  Field  Batteries,"  "English  Uni- 
forms," "White  Cross  Belts,"  "The  Vicissitudes  of  a 
Turkish  Functionary's  Career,"  "Sketches  of  Distin- 
guished Military  Men:  Leonard  Torstenson,  Iskender- 
Bey,  Ismail  Pacha,"  "A  Fearful  Tragedy,"  "Lying 
Bulletins — Military  Despatches,"  "Gasconading  (Ha- 
vana)," "England  and  the  United  States,"  "New  Cap  for 
the  United  States  -Army,"  "The  Portland  (Maine) 
Liquor  Riot,"  "A  Letter  on  Forbes'  Volunteer's  Manual," 
and  "Synopsis  of  the  Commands  Requisite  for  the 
Manoeuvres  and  Movements  Detailed  in  Part  I,  Cooper's 
Tactics." 

The  progress  of  the  Italian  War  of  1859,  between 
France  and  Sardinia  on  the  one  side,  and  Austria  on  the 
other.  General  de  Peyster  commented  upon  in  a  series  of 
sketches.     His  familiarity  with  the  scene,  and  with  the 


16  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

military  condition  and  strength  of  the  combatants,  gained 
by  extensive  reading,  and  by  personal  researches  abroad 
when  Military  Agent,  enabled  him  to  make  the  conflict 
intelligible  to  the  American  public  and  even  to  predict 
the  course  of  events.  His  articles  included  "The  Ground 
Occupied  by  the  European  Armies,"  "The  Country  of 
the  War,''  "Italian  Battle  Grounds,"  "Sardinia,"  "The 
Lombard  War  Eivers,  Cremona — Battle  Grounds  Along 
the  Mincio,"  and  "Piedmontese  Territory"  (two  articles). 

The  following,  among  other  articles  from  his  pen, 
appeared  prior  to  the  Civil  War:  "Artillery  Improve- 
ments," 1859;  "Evolutions  of  the  Line  by  Battalions," 
"Discipline,"  "The  Invincible  Armada,"  "Simon  Stevin 
of  Bruges,"  "Ho !  for  the  Pole !"  and  "Cape  Cod  and  Its 
Neighborhood,"  all  published  in  1860. 

A  copy  of  General  de  Peyster's  Life  of  Torstenson  was 
sent  to  Oscar  I.  of  Sweden  and  Norway.  Count  Erie 
de  Lewenhaupt,  private  secretary  to  His  Majesty, 
acknowledged  the  gift  in  a  letter  to  General  de  Peyster, 
dated  from  Stockholm,  22  December,  1856,  in  which  he 
said,  "The  King  has  ordered  me  to  express  the  high 
gratification  afforded  to  His  Royal  Majesty  by  receiving 
your  work,  and  to  offer  you,  as  a  token  of  his  appre- 
ciation of  the  sentiments  which  dictated  your  homage, 
the  hereby  joined  collection  of  medals,  with  the  efBgies 
of  the  great  Gustavus  Adolphus,  of  Charles  XIV.,  Jolm 
and  of  his  august  son.  King  Oscar." 

Meantime,  with  the  greatest  apprehension.  General  de 
Peyster  had  been  watching  the  gathering  of  war  clouds 
above  our  own  country.  "Ever  since  the  election  of 
1856,"  he  writes  in  his  reminiscences,  "I  saw  the  collision 
in  arms  coming."  To  the  very  last  others,  to  whom  he 
addressed  his  fears,  were  optimistic,  as  the  following  from 
a  letter  of  one  of  his  intimate  friends,  Eev.  E.  W.  Oliver, 
bears  witness: 

"Your  views  of  our  political  affaii's,  and  of  J. 
Buchanan  in  particular,  are  but  too  true.  Alas,  had 
we  only  an  old  woman  at  the  head  of  the  Government 
she  would  not  have  entered  into  a  treaty  with  rebels,  and 


THE  APPEOACH  OF  WAE  17 

suffered  them  to  rob,  plunder,  and  bully  the  Government. 

"Still  I  look  for  a  peaceful  solution  of  the  whole 
matter,  and  I  confess  I  fear  more  a  hasty  compromise 
than  all  the  war,  blood,  and  thunder  threatened  by  the 
rebels  to  our  peace  and  to  the  Government.  Time  will 
soon  tell  the  tale.  I  go  as  Chaplain  on  Friday  to  Harris- 
burg,  where  I  hope  to  see  the  President  Elect." 

General  de  Peyster,  however,  had  already  suggested 
to  the  authorities  at  Albany  an  immediate  re-organization 
of  the  Militia  of  New  York  as  a  preparatory  move.  The 
following  letter  to  him  from  Colonel  Abraham  Van 
Vechten,  dated  at  Albany,  5  February,  1861,  shows  that 
even  as  late  as  that  date  the  General's  warnings  remained 
unheeded. 

"Nothing  can  of  course  be  done  upon  the  matter  of 
organizing  the  Militia  until  the  Legislature  takes  some 
action  upon  it.  They  will  doubtless  do  something,  but 
what,  it  is  as  yet  difficult  to  say.  My  idea  is  to  vest  the 
whole  power  with  the  Governor.  A  short,  simple  bill 
will  answer  the  purpose, 

"When  the  time  arrives  your  aid  and  assistance  will, 
I  know,  be  gladly  received.  Until  then  there  is  no  neces- 
sity of  your  doing  anything.  The  Governor,  when  vested 
with  the  power,  will  advise  and  consult  with  military 
men,  and  then  is  the  time  for  the  service  of  men  like 
you  to  be  called  into  requisition." 

A  letter  to  General  de  Peyster  dated  19  April,  1861, 
from  William  P.  Wainwright,  who  long  had  been  a  regi- 
mental commander  in  the  former's  Brigade  of  the  Militia, 
shows  that  in  less  than  a  week  after  the  firing  upon  Fort 
Sumter  General  de  Peyster  was  actively  engaged  in 
movements  looking  to  the  raising  of  volunteers  to  support 
the  national  government. 

"It  is  my  intention  to  report  myself  for  service  at  the 
Adg't  Gen'l's  office.  I  have  no  particular  desire  to  be 
ordered  out,  but,  as  we  all  are,  am  ready.  At  the  same 
time  I  think  I  might  aspire  at  least  to  the  rank  of  Major. 

"In  further  answer  to  your  kind  proposition  that  I 
should  take  a  command  in  your  Brigade,  it  would  give 

2 


18  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  do  so  were  you  to  be  on  duty 
in  this  city,  but,  besides  the  inconvenience  of  absenting 
myself  from  home,  the  expense  is  a  very  material  consid- 
eration with  me.  At  the  same  time  any  assistance  I  can 
well  render  you  know  will  be  more  than  willingly  given. 
"It  seems  to  me  that  with  your  health  any  exposed 
service  would  be  out  of  the  question  and  your  proposition 
seems  an  excellent  one.  It  will  cost  you  something,  but 
if  you  can  get  a  cadre  ready  in  yoiir  district  under  the 
direction  of  the  Government  it  will  be  just  the  thing, 
either  as  a  school  for  others  or  the  basis  of  a  contingent." 


CHAPTEE  XXXI 

PROFFER   OF   SERVICES 

Unfortunately  General  de  Peyster  never  completed  his 
project  of  writing  an  autobiography.  In  addition  to  his 
early  recollections,  and  a  few  brief  and  scattered  refer- 
ences to  other  periods  of  his  life  which  have  been 
incorporated  in  the  present  work,  his  reminiscences  only 
include  an  account  of  the  offer  of  his  services  to  the 
General  Government,  during  the  Civil  War,  and  of  the 
military  careers  of  his  three  sons.  The  events  recorded 
in  these  personal  recollections  have  such  a  direct  bearing 
upon  his  literary  work  that  they  are  given  in  this  place. 
The  present  chapter,  therefore,  is  devoted  to  the  personal 
narrative  of  General  de  Peyster. 

I  never  was  an  Abolitionist,  but  I  was  always  an  Anti- 
slavery  man.  Washington  Hunt  was  the  only  politician 
I  ever  knew  who  fully  appreciated  the  evil,  perceived  the 
true  remedy,  and  indicated  it.  In  1859,  when  John 
Brown  invaded  Virginia,  I  was  one  of  the  few  men  who 
dared  to  come  out  in  the  newspapers  and  take  his  part; 
one  of  my  articles  appeared  in  the  Evening  Post;  this, 
too,  at  a  time  when  it  was  somewhat  risky  to  take  such 
a  stand ;  and  previously  I  had  been  one  of  the  few  militia 
officers  of  rank  who  had  publicly  announced  that  I  would 
not  assist  in  enforcing  the  "fugitive  slave  law." 

In  1856  the  Solid  South  had  made  up  their  minds 
to  inaugurate  a  civil  war,  in  case  that  Fremont  was 
elected,  and  in  1860,  with  Slavery  as  the  cornerstone  of 
their  projected  sovereignty,  they  precipitated  the  Civil 
War. 

Perhaps  it  was  the  intention  of  Providence,  Who 
always  accomplishes  His  ends  through  natural  causes 
and  by  human  instruments,  to  render  the  result  certain 
by  permitting  the  election  of  Buchanan. 

19 


20  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

My  recollections  of  April,  1861,  and  antecedent,  are 
very  vivid.  All  through  the  winter  of  1860-1861 
thinking  men  had  arrived  at  the  solemn  conviction  that 
the  matter  was  never  going  to  be  settled  by  words--it 
was  no  longer  a  question  for  statesmen,  but  for  soldiers. 
I  remember  making  my  calculations,  in  regard  to  men 
and  money  for  the  struggle,  in  December,  1860. 

At  a  dinner  at  the  house  of  General  W.  P.  Wainwright, 
in  the  winter  of  1860-1861,  Senator  James  W.  Beekman 
(since  dead)  agreed  with  me  in  an  opinion — afterwards 
expressed  by  General  Sherman,  for  utterance  of  which  he 
was  said  to  be  mad — that  it  was  absolute  folly  to  think  of 
putting  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  men  in  the  field 
at  once,  because  we  were  going  to  have  a  war,  and  a  long 
war,  and  perhaps  a  war  at  our  own  doors.  In  only  one 
idea  was  I  mistaken  throughout  the  Eebellion.  I  feared 
the  Democrats  would  give  us  trouble  at  the  North.  _  I 
did  not  think  that  Democrats  would  parley  as  they  did, 
and  be  transmuted  from  bellowers  into  Copperheads. 

I  was  at  "Eose  Hill,"  my  place  in  Duchess  County, 
when  the  Massachusetts  Sixth  was  basely  entrapped  in 
Baltimore,  and  I  never  shall  forget  that  night.  My 
brother-in-law  came  over  from  our  father-in-law's  resi- 
dence, in  the  darkness,  entered  my  dining-room,  set  down 
his  lantern,  closed  the  door,  put  his  back  against  it  with 
horror  on  his  face,  and  whispered  in  one  of  those  whispers 
which  are  more  distinct  than  loud  talking,  "They  have 
been  murdering  our  soldiers  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore, 
and  all  communication  with  Washington  is  cut  off." 

As  soon  as  Sumter  was  fired  on,  I  went  to  Albany,  saw 
Governor  Morgan,  and  asked  to  be  appointed  or  selected 
as  brigadier-general  from  this  State.  I  offered  to  show 
him  the  magnificent  testimonials  of  what  I  had  done  as 
Adjutant-General,  and  since  my  visit  to  Europe.  He 
was  very  polite  to  me,  as  he  always  was,  but  he  gave  me 
no  satisfaction. 

Kearny  was  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  that  drove 
him  to  New  Jersey,  which  willingly  accepted  him.  I 
had  no  New  Jersey  to  fly  to,  and,  moreover,  I  was  subject 


PEOFFER  OF  SERVICES  31 

to  terrible  hemorrhages,  from  which,  at  times,  until 
within  three  years,  I  have  almost  bled  to  death.  The 
doctors,  first  class,  told  me  that  if  I  took  the  field,  I 
had  only  one  chance  out  of  ten  to  survive  the  exposure, 
unless  I  got  the  rank  of  General  and  a  position  where 
I  could  take  some  care  of  myself.  All  these  doctors, 
younger  and  older  than  myself,  are  in  their  graves. 

Repulsed  at  Albany,  I  went  to  New  York,  and  offered 
three  picked  regiments  from  my  district  to  the  committee 
to  which  applicants  were  referred. 

Thurlow  Weed  received  me.  James  H.  Wood,  a  lawyer 
of  standing,  was  with  me.  I  told  Weed  I  could  raise 
three  regiments  in  my  Congressional  district,  officered  by 
men  of  first-rate  military  capacity  (two  afterwards  rose 
to  be  brigadier-generals),  with  a  rank  and  file  of  unusual 
trustworthiness.  Weed  answered  and  acted  like  a  fool. 
He  said,  "Shoulder  a  musket  and  go  to  the  front."  "Mr. 
Weed,"  I  replied,  "if  I  had  no  claims  for  the  rank  which 
1  demand — and  I  have  testimonials  enough  to  entitle  to 
any  command  I  might  ask — I  have  hardly  strength  to 
carry  my  bones,  much  less  a  musket.  Mr.  Bowdoin,  a 
West  Point  graduate,  told  me  to  mention  his  name,  and 
say  to  you  from  him,  that  if  you  did  not  mind  what  you 
were  about,  the  Pelicans  (Louisiana  troops)  would  be 
shaking  their  tails  over  New  York  from  Weehawken 
Heights."  All  that  I  could  get  out  of  that  old  political 
fox  was,  "Shoulder  your  musket — go  to  the  front." 

I  left  him  disgusted.  I  went  to  Washington.  Senator 
Harris  said  he  would  take  me  to  see  the  President.  I 
asked  George  Schuyler  what  dress  I  should  wear.  He 
said,  "Full-dress  dinner  costume,  as  due  to  the  head  of 
the  nation,  a  white  choker,  swallow-tail,"  &c.  I  believe 
that  dress  ruined  me — as  a  wise  man  observed,  "I  should 
think  it  might  have  done  so  with  Lincoln." 

I  offered  the  President  three  picked  regiments.  He 
answered,  "I  have  enough  troops."  I  said,  "If  you  do 
not  want  privates,  I  offer  you  a  number  of  officers,  whose 
superiors  West  Point  cannot  produce."  "I  have  more 
officers  than  I  know  what  to  do  with."     '^ill  you  take 


22  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

me?  With  my  experience  and  study  I  am  worth  a 
thousand  such  as  you  can  pick  up  at  random."  "That 
demands  consideration."    '^'What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked. 

Lincoln  said  something  that  made  me  believe  he 
intended  to  refer  my  case  to  Seward.  I  almost  hated 
Seward  for  some  things  he  had  done,  and  when  I  was 
made  Adjutant-General,  S.  N.  Y.,  the  only  stipulation 
that  Governor  Clark  made  with  me  was  that  I  should  not 
abuse  Seward,  for  Seward  was  up  for  reelection  as 
Senator,  and  I  was  a  friend  of  Hunt's.  So  I  said  to 
Lincoln,  "If  you  intend  to  submit  my  case  to  Seward, 
I  want  nothing  to  do  with  him.  Please  give  me  your 
decision  on  the  merits  of  the  case."  "I  will  make  no 
promise,"  said  he.  "I  once  made  a  promise  of  a  frigate, 
and  when  the  time  came  I  could  not  cut  it  in  two,  and 
so  I  got  myself  in  a  hobble."  I  did  not  understand  this 
little  story  for  four  years.  It  referred  to  the  Powhattan 
or  Brooklyn,  which  was  intended  for  the  relief  of  Fort 
Sumter,  and  switched  off  for  the  relief  of  Fort  Pickens. 

At  this  Juncture  Senator  Harris  made  me  a  sign  I  was 
wasting  time.  I  bowed  and  left  Lincoln,  as  I  had  left 
Weed,  and  I  never  saw  him  again  to  speak  to  him.  I 
saw  him  elsewhere,  and  I  thought  less  of  him;  but  if  he 
were  more  than  a  man,  then  I  have  known  men,  like 
George  H.  Thomas,  who  were  gods. 

When  I  got  back  to  Willard's  I  met  General  Mansfield, 
who,  in  the  ordinary  acceptation  of  the  word,  was  not 
only  an  acquaintance  but  a  friend.  To  him  I  related  my 
interview  with  Lincoln.  He  simply  remarked,  "If  Lin- 
coln talked  in  that  way,  Jeff  Davis  some  day  will  be 
warming  his  chair  for  him."  Heintzelman  and  others, 
at  different  times,  expressed  the  same  opinion. 

I  think  Lincoln  was  the  most  uncouth  man,  in  1861, 
and  had  the  longest  legs,  and  was  the  ugliest  man,  but 
one,  that  I  ever  saw.  The  second  time  I  beheld  him  I 
was  standing  at  the  side  door  of  Willard's,  talking,  I 
think,  to  McDowell,  or  to  one  of  his  staff.  It  was  just 
before  Bull  Run.  Lincoln  drove  up  to  the  sidewalk,  and 
wanted  to  speak  to  McDowell.     He  was  in  a  victoria. 


PEOFFER  OF  SERVICES  23 

and  a  lady,  I  suppose  it  was  Mrs.  Lincoln,  sat  on  the 
side  next  the  curb.  Lincoln  stood  up.  Oh,  how  tall 
and  gaunt  he  looked !  He  lifted  up  one  of  his  long 
legs,  stuck  it  over  the  lady,  and  planted  his  foot — such 
a  foot ! — on  the  sidewalk,  as  if  it  were  no  exertion,  with 
one  hand  outstretched,  at  the  same  time,  to  grasp  that  of 
McDowell,  who,  in  his  Jaunty  uniform  and  ease  of 
bearing,  presented  a  marked  contrast. 

I  knew  one  man  uglier  than  Lincoln. 

I  came  home;  the  summer  passed  away.  All  that  I 
foretold  had  come  true.  As  I  stood  on  Arlington 
Heights,  as  the  troops  marched  out,  I  prefigured  the  loss 
of  that  battle.  I  said,  "These  troops  will  be  put  in  by 
regiments,  and  by  regiments  they  will  be  whipped." 
And  so  they  were;  McDowell  afterwards  acknowledged 
that  I  was  right. 

In  the  fall  of  1861  our  Rector  came  to  me  one  day 
and  said,  "Are  you  doing  right?  You  have  great  mili- 
tary knowledge.  Do  you  think  that  you  ought  to  be 
sitting  at  home,  when  your  country  is  in  danger  and 
wants  such  men  as  you?" 

I  went  on  to  Washington,  and  saw  McClellan.  He 
said  my  reputation  was  sufficient  for  the  rank  and  com- 
mand I  was  seeking.  He  made  an  appointment  for  next 
morning,  and  broke  it,  to  disgrace  himself,  as  a  real 
soldier,  by  allowing  Blenker's  torchlight  procession — a 
whole  division  withdrawing  from  the  touch  of  the  enemy 
for  such  a  childish  demonstration,  fit  for  a  militia 
general  training. 

Pride  is  my  besetting  sin;  I  flounced  off  to  Scott, 
Assistant  Secretary  of  War.  He  was  very  polite  and 
sensible,  but  referred  me  to  Cameron.  I  waited  all  day 
to  see  Cameron;  when  we  met,  he  told  me  a  falsehood. 
Friends  advised  me  to  see  Lincoln  again. 

I  could  tell  some  queer  things.  I  have  justification 
for  recording  what  follows,  for  I  have  the  attest,  in 
writing,  of  a  friend,  since  dead  in  the  saddest  manner, 
like  Abner — one  who  had  familiar  access  to  the  President 
at  all  times.     Lincoln  wanted  to  make  me  Chief  of  his 


24:  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Personal  Staff.  I  have  some  reason  to  believe  Hitchcock 
or  Halleck,  especially,  smashed  that;  some  people  said 
my  temper  was  an  olDstacle.  All  who  know  about  it  are 
dead.  However,  my  word  is  all  sufficient,  as  well  as  my 
manuscripts  and  records,  carefully  stowed  away.  I  got 
very  angry,  which  was  very  foolish,  and  left  Washington. 
I  never  had  anything  more  to  do  with  the  war,  except 
by  influence  and  speaking.  Worry  brought  on  hemor- 
rhage, and  I  lost  about  as  much  blood  every  day  as  I 
could  make  up  in  a  day. 

Two  men,  or  a  man  and  a  youth,  who  used  to  get  up 
the  back  stairs  to  Lincoln  offered  to  take  me  in  to  him. 
I  do  not  like  to  be  snubbed.  I  was  disgusted  and  angry 
— very  foolish;  I  shook  off  from  my  feet  the  dust  of 
Washington,  and  I  have  been  there  since  but  once  in 
twenty-four  years,  to  ask  anything,  and  that  was  for  a 
friend,  and  then  and  there,  I  guess,  the  Secretary  will 
admit  he  never  met  a  more  stiff-necked  individual  than 
I  was.  I  spoke  my  mind,  and  he  'heard  things  which 
very  few  Secretaries  hear.  He  was  a  perverse,  nasty- 
tempered  fellow,  and  he  got  as  good  as  he  gave — as  did 
Stanton  once,  by  a  letter  from  me,  which  recoiled  against 
my  poor  eldest  son.     I  wrote  what  amounted  to  saying 

I  would  see  Stanton  to  before  I  would  humble 

myself  to  him,  and,  mean  as  he  was  in  vindictiveness, 
sometimes  he  visited  it,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  on  my 
eldest  son. 

My  second  son,  Frederic,  was  a  medical  student, 
admitted  to  be,  by  every  officer  who  knew  him,  one  of 
the  coolest  of  brave  men,  who  did  not  seem  to  know  what 
fear  was.  He  wanted  to  go  at  once,  in  April  or  May, 
1861,  and  as  there  were  none  but  militia  regiments 
starting,  Governor  Morgan  gave  him  a  sort  of  assistant 
surgeon's  commission,  and  he  started  off  with  a  handbag 
to  join  the  8th  New  York  Militia.  I  sent  him  his 
uniform  and  other  traps  afterwards,  and  finally  his  horse, 
and  I  think  he  was  the  only  officer  in  his  regiment  who 
had  a  horse  of  his  own.  He  was  with  Butler,  with  one 
wing  of  the  8th  New  York  Militia  and  one  wing  of  a 


PEOFFEE  OF  SEEVICES  25 

Massachusetts  regiment,  when  they  captured  Baltimore, 
which  ought  to  have  been  levelled  with  the  ground,  for 
I  conceive  it  more  meanly  disloyal  than  Charleston,  then 
and  now. 

He  was  left  behind,  through  the  meanness  of  his  colonel 
(a  tailor),  who  had  had  a  quarrel  with  my  uncle 
(James),  and  visited  his  spite  on  my  son  (Fred).  He 
left  him  in  charge  of  the  depot  of  sick  at  Arlington 
House,  when  the  regiment  marched  thence  to  Bull  Eun. 
I  was  there,  and  was  by  when  McDowell  held  his  last 
council  of  war,  and  also  when  the  regiment  marched  out. 
One  of  his  division  generals,  Heintzelman,  was  a  great 
friend  of  mine,  and  another,  Tyler,  was  the  father-in-law 
of  an  intimate  friend. 

Mrs,  McDowell  used  to  come  over  to  Arlington  House 
and  sit  in  her  husband's  tent  and  knit;  and  I  remember 
well  what  McDowell  said  to  me  about  his  militia  regi- 
ments, I  was  urging  him  to  give  my  son  (Fred)  a 
decided  status  as  an  officer,  since  he  had  the  proper  State 
commission,  and  was  mustered  in  as  hospital  steward  so 
as  to  get  mustered  in  at  all,  because  there  were  already 
more  surgeons,  senior  to  him,  attached  to  the  regiment, 
than  the  United  States  would  pay,  and  he  had  to  take 
that  position  to  get  mustered  in  at  all.  "Oh,"  said 
McDowell,  "these  militia  regiments  are  nothing  more 
than  clubs,  who  wear  a  uniform  and  carry  arms.  He 
will  get  on  well  enough,  and  be  treated  as  an  officer," 
And  so  he  was. 

This  was  how  Fred  wore  his  surgeon's  uniform,  messed 
with  the  surgeons,  and  before  he  came  home,  had  full 
medical  charge  of  the  regiment,  for  all  his  seniors  were 
taken  prisoners. 

Well,  when  the  regiment  marched  out  for  Bull  Eun, 
Fred  was  left  behind,  although  he  was  the  only  one  who 
had  a  horse  of  his  own.  The  other  surgeons  had  not. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  start.  His  three  seniors  went 
off  in  a  magnificent  coach,  like  an  omnibus  translated 
into  an  impromptu  ambulance,  drawn  by  four  horses, 
driven  from  the  box.     It  was  a  grand  affair.     Before 


26  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

they  started  I  went  to  Dr.  Foster  Swift,  a  common 
friend,  and  told  him  how  meanly  the  tailor-colonel  had 
treated  Fred.  He  thought  the  world  of  Fred,  who  was 
a  charming  fellow,  and  he  said,  "Do  not  worry,  I  will 
arrange  all  that ;  I  have  left  orders  for  Fred  to  follow 
to-morrow  morning,"  which  Fred  did,  and  so  distin- 
guished himself  that,  on  the  representation  of  General 
Blenker,  a  surgeon  (Williams)  belonging  to  a  Maine 
regiment,  and  a  major  (afterwards  Gen.  Wainwright), 
then  of  the  29th  New  York  Volunteers,  Fred  was 
breveted  up  to  i\rajor  for  his  gallantry  and  meritorious 
services  at  the  close  of  that  disastrous  day  and  on  the 
ensuing  night.  One  of  our  governors,  on  learning  the 
facts,  afterwards,  gave  him  a  State-brevet  of  Colonel. 

Fred  was  subject  to  distressing  attacks,  and  he  was 
unable  to  return  to  the  field.  Officers  who  knew  him 
and  his  gallantry,  offered  him  very  important  positions. 
In  1862,  when  his  regiment  went  to  the  Peninsula,  he 
was  at  Tivoli.  Governor  Morgan  gave  him  a  commission 
in  the  line,  because  there  were  as  many  surgeons  already 
as  the  government  would  receive.  I  went  down  to  Fort 
Monroe  to  see  Fred,  and  found  him  serving  as  assistant- 
surgeon,  and  very  sick  with  the  malarial  fever  of  that 
region,  from  which  he  never  recovered.  He  came  home, 
sick  with  the  Chickahominy  fever,  which  turned  into 
consumption,  to  which  all  my  race  are  prone,  and  he 
eventually  died  of  it. 

The  senior  surgeon  (not  then  Swift)  came  to  grief. 
He  was  a  nice  fellow,  but  unequal  to  the  place,  and 
the  second  doctor  was  a  crank  who  believed  that  turpen- 
tine was  a  universal  panacea. 

Fred  had  a  curious  experience.  He  served  as  doctor, 
and  he  served  in  the  line.  He  was  sent  as  surgeon  to 
a  French  regiment,  called  the  "Lost  Children,"  because 
he  could  speak  French.  Taken  all  in  all,  it  was  a  queer 
kind  of  a  service.  He  came  home  sick,  and  never,  as  to 
health,  was  subsequently  strong  enough  for  any  exposure. 
Different  officers  wanted  to  get  him,  but  he  was  played 
out. 


PEOFFBR  OF  SERVICES  27 

All  three  of  ray  boys  came  near  losing  their  lives  by 
this  fever.  My  eldest  son  had  it  in  1863,  on  the  Penin- 
sular, and  for  two  months  battled  with  death;  and  my 
youngest  son  had  it  in  1864,  and  it  was  eighteen  years 
before  he  recovered  from  the  effects  of  it. 

I  think  Fred  was  the  coolest  brave  man  I  ever  knew. 
He  died  by  inches.  He  would  rise  in  the  morning  from 
a  hemorrhage,  which  would  nearly  fill  a  basin,  to  go  out 
and  drive  twelve  or  fourteen  miles  in  the  afternoon. 
He  was  chatting  pleasantly,  got  up,  walked  across  the 
room,  lay  down,  and  was  dead  before  I  could  get'  across 
the  hall. 

I  was  a  great  deal  in  the  camps  across  the  Potomac, 
and  all  through  the  country  occupied  by  our  troops — 
out  as  far  as  the  outer  pickets  towards  the  enemy — and 
was  always  accosted  and  treated  as  a  general  by  all  the 
officers  with  whom  I  came  in  contact.  I  came  very 
near  being  captured,  in  chasing  my  son's  horse  (which 
got  loose)  in  the  woods  near  Arlington  Mills,  occupied 
by  a  detachment  of  the  8th  New  York  Militia,  of  which 
my  son  had  medical  charge. 

The  Eighth  had  a  jolly  time  in  their  elegant  camp, 
under  the  trees  near  Arlington  House.  The  weather  was 
perfectly  lovely  when  I  was  down  there,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  spring  and  during  the  summer  of  1861.  I 
saw  a  great  deal  of  Hooker,  with  whom  I  was  most 
intimate,  and  from  whom  I  have  the  most  complimentary 
letters.  He  was  then  seeking  a  commission  and  com- 
mand. Then  he  was  one  of  the  most  modest  and  retiring 
of  men,  and  most  agreeable  and  instructive  of  com- 
panions, brimful  of  his  Mexican  service  and  Californian 
adventures.  I  never  shall  forget  a  dinner,  al  fresco,  we 
had  in  the  camp.  It  was  cooked  at  Willard's — an 
elegant  collation — and  eaten  in  the  open  air,  under  the 
magnificent  trees  on  Arlington  Heights.  It  was  a 
glorious  Sunday.     War  as  yet  was  a  picnic. 

It  was  curious  how  Varian's  Battery  slaughtered  their 
beeves.  A  crowd  of  men  would  take  hold  of  a  rope, 
fastened  to  each  horn  of  the  animal,  to  keep  the  head 


28  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

steady,  and  then  the  forehead  of  the  ox  would  become 
a  target  for  the  best  rifle  shots.  I  must  say  that  Lyon, 
the  tailor-colonel  of  the  Eighth,  was  an  excellent  drill- 
master,  and  the  discipline  of  his  regiment  in  camp  was 
perfect. 

I  Avas  intimate  with  McDowell.  I  have  remarked  that 
when  the  troops  marched  out  to  Bull  Eun,  I  said,  "There 
goes  an  army  which  will  be  put  in  and  fought  by  regi- 
ments, and  by  regiments  it  will  be  whipped,"  and  so  it 
was.  McDowell  was  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  educated 
and  accomplished  theoretic  soldiers  I  ever  met.  He 
could  describe  a  battle,  which  he  had  witnessed,  so  as 
to  make  it  vividly  present;  but  he  had  no  influence  or 
power  over  his  men,  and  he  was  so  intensely  selfish  that 
it  stuck  out  all  over  him,  so  that  you  could  hang  your 
hat  and  coat  on  it  in  a  hundred  different  places. 

I  said  to  him  one  day,  "McDowell,  with  your  infinite 
knowledge  of  war,  why  do  you  not  get  your  regiments 
together  and  accustom  them  to  each  other,  and  manoeuvre 
them  by  brigades  and  divisions?"  He  answered,  "You 
are  right,  but  the  authorities  would  not  allow  me  to  do 
so.  I  have  urged  it  again  and  again,  but  Lincoln  will 
not  permit  it."  He  added  something  to  the  effect  that 
if  the  Members  of  Congress  saw  so  many  men  as  a 
division  together,  they  would  think  that  such  a  body  of 
troops  were  enough  to  conquer  the  universe,  and  never 
raise  or  call  out  another  man  or  vote  another  dollar.  So 
he  had  to  fool  Congress,  and  thus,  in  the  end,  he  fooled 
himself. 

I  remember  one  night  I  was  in  Willard's  barroom,  and 
they  were  talking  of  the  first  war  appropriation  as  if  it 
were  so  big  it  was  going  to  ruin  the  country.  I  said, 
"Gentlemen,  do  you  know  what  war  costs?  To  keep  one 
hundred  thousand  men  in  the  field  for  one  year  will 
require  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars."  My  dear  old 
friend,  Colonel  Van  Vechten,  whispered,  "Don't  be  a 
damned  fool,  de  Peyster,"  and  dragged  me  out  into  the 
adjoining  room,  to  save  me,  as  he  imagined,  from  making 
a  fool  of  myself. 


PEOFFEE  OF  SEEVICES  29 

When  there,  I  said,  "I  will  show  you  in  a  few  words 
that  I  am  right.  It  is  admitted  that  every  regular 
soldier  in  the  United  States  Army  costs  the  government 
one  thousand  dollars  a  year.  Multiply  that  by  one 
hundred  thousand,  and  add  the  wear  and  tear  of  actual 
campaigning,  and  you  will  see  that  my  estimate  of  the 
cost  of  war  was  modest."  I  said  more,  and  asked  him, 
"Who  is  the  damned  fool  now?  Let  me  go  back  and 
demonstrate  the  facts  to  your  friends,  and  prove  that  I 
am  no  fool."  "For  God's  sake,  don't  do  it,"  he 
exclaimed,  "for  if  you  can  make  it  clear  to  them  that 
you  are  right,  the  expense  will  so  frighten  them  that 
they  will  throw  the  matter  up,  and  there  will  be  an  end 
of  it." 

Heintzelman  was  an  excellent  officer  and  a  fearless 
soldier.  He  was  so  overshadowed  by  the  enormous 
reputations  of  Kearny  and  Hooker  that  the  public  did 
not  estimate  him  at  his  true  worth.  Moreover,  he  was 
a  patriot  and  a  true  man.  Unfortunately  for  himself, 
he  talked  too  openly  and  criticised  too  severely,  and  the 
real  lustre  of  his  star  was  lost  in  the  factitious  blaze 
of  McClellan  and  his  satellites.  He  was  in  close  corre- 
spondence with  me,  down  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
Diogenes  would  have  ended  his  quest,  with  him,  and  no 
longer  have  needed  a  lantern,  for  in  Heintzelman  he 
would  have  found  what  he  was  seeking — an  honest  man. 

My  eldest  son.  Watts,  went  to  the  war  in  the  early 
spring,  or  rather  late  winter  of  1861-2.  I  did  not  wish 
him  to  go,  because  his  temper  was  unfitted,  without 
discipline,  to  get  along  with  men.  Fred's  courage  was 
the  calmness  of  ice;  that  of  Watts,  fire.  The  bravest 
of  men,  like  Kearny,  said  that  Watts  was  as  "brave  as 
they  make  them,"  but,  like  myself,  he  had  no  conciliation. 
AVith  him,  "must"  covered  everything,  and  that  did  not 
do  with  our  first  armies,  the  mass  of  the  components  of 
which  understood  about  as  much  of  the  real  signification 
of  discipline  and  duty  as  the  Jewish  rabbis  used  to  say 
that  "a  jackass  had  capacity  to  mount  a  ladder." 

I  might  justly  observe  that  Watts  ran  away  from  home, 


30  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

and  the  first  thing  I  knew  he  was  a  volunteer-aide  to  his 
cousin,  General  Kearny.  He  was  with  Kearny  up  to  the 
battle  of  Fair  Oaks,  or  Seven  Pines,  when  the  General 
sent  him  home,  because  he  said  that  he  would  not  allow 
a  young  man,  so  brave  and  capable,  to  risk  his  life  as 
freely  as  Watts  did  without  an  adequate  commission. 
General  Mindil,  Colonel  Moore,  and  a  number  of  officers 
who  saw  him  on  the  field  of  Williamsburg,  said  that  his 
devotion,  bravery,  and  self-forgetfulness  were  beyond  all 
praise. 

Meanwhile  I  had  been  at  Albany,  trying  to  get  a  posi- 
tion worthy  of  him.  Several  commissions  were  offered,  but 
I  thought  he  was  fit  for  higher  posts.  An  old  newspaper 
correspondent,  Colonel  James  B.  Swain,  had  raised  a 
regiment  of  cavalry,  known  as  "Scott's  Nine  Hundred," 
afterwards  the  Thirteenth  New  York  Cavalry,  which  was 
a  bone  of  contention  between  the  general  and  State 
governments.  He  offered  Watts  a  company,  but  when 
my  son  joined,  he  kept  the  word  of  promise  to  the  ear 
and  broke  it  to  the  hope.  He  did  give  Watts  a  company, 
but  with  the  rank  of  First-Lieutenant  commanding. 
General  de  Cesnola,  who,  by  the  way,  never  was  breveted 
or  commissioned  general,  was  lieutenant-colonel.  He 
and  his  superior  did  not  agree.  The  colonel  unjustly 
came  to  grief,  and  it  was  questionable  if  the  regiment 
would  be  received,  after  all  the  trouble  of  its  organization. 

At  this  Juncture  a  majority  in  the  First  New  York 
Artillery  fell  vacant;  Watts  understood  the  service.  He 
liad  learned  his  business  with  me  and  other  competent 
officers.  Governor  Morgan  gave  him  the  commission, 
and  he  joined  the  army  in  the  summer  of  1862,  when 
McClellan  changed  his  base  to  the  James,  and  he  was 
assigned  to  the  Staff  of  General  Peck,  who  wrote  me  an 
elegant  letter  about  him.  Although  only  in  his  twenty- 
first  year,  having  studied  for  law.  Watts  was  temporarily 
assigned  to  judge-advocate's  duty.  During  his  leisure 
time  Watts  translated  from  the  French  Decker's  famous 
"Tactics  of  the  Three  Arms."  This,  with  others  of 
his  works  of  a  literary  and  military  character,  went  to 


PROFFEE  OF  SERVICES  31 

the  bottom  of  the  James  by  the  sinking  of  the  vessel  in 
which  his  baggage  was  embarked. 

From  the  James,  Watts  was  sent  back  to  Albany  on 
business  connected  with  his  regiment.  From  that  city  he 
came  to  my  house,  at  Tivoli,  on  a  visit,  and  within 
twenty-four  hours  was  in  his  bed  with  a  fearful  attack 
of  James  river  fever,  with  which  for  months  he  was 
battling  for  life.  Before  he  was  fit  for  duty  he  was 
ordered  on  recruiting  service  to  the  depot  in  New  York, 
a  position  for  which  his  character  entirely  unfitted  him. 
During  the  winter  he  was  ordered  to  General  Albon  P. 
Howe,  as  Chief  of  Artillery,  2d  Division,  6th  Corps. 

Howe's  testimonials  as  to  the  ability  and  bravery  of 
AVatts  cannot  be  surpassed  in  the  English  language.  For 
bis  conduct  at  Chancellors ville,  on  the  recommendation 
of  Hooker,  a  superlative  judge  of  gallantry,  Watts 
received  the  brevet  of  colonel,  one  of  the  few  granted  for 
services  in  this  battle.  Completely  broken  in  health,  he 
commanded  his  artillery  in  that  battle,  against  the  pro- 
hibitions of  the  surgeons,  and  experienced  an  injury  to 
the  brain  by  the  concussion  of  a  shell,  or  solid  shot,  or 
some  other  missile.  His  temper,  always  quick,  was  very 
much  excited  by  the  casualty. 

He  was  in  command  of  a  division  of  heavy  artillery 
on  tlie  way  to  Gettysburg,  when,  on  account  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  bridges,  he  was  ordered  back  to  Washington. 
I  am  told  he  greatly  distinguished  himself  by  his  practi- 
cal management  in  the  removal  of  heavy  guns  from 
Harper's  Ferry.  Of  this,  however,  I  have  no  certain 
accounts,  because  all  his  papers,  a  valuable  library,  and 
a  collection  of  scientific  instruments,  besides  other 
inestimable  valuables  stored  in  it,  were  consumed  in  the 
burning  of  a  beautiful  Gothic  cottage,  my  old  lodge.  In 
two  hours  there  was  nothing  left — nothing  but  a  heap  of 
brick  and  stone,  and  about  a  cartload  of  charred  oak 
timber.  In  this  building  was  burned  my  own  invaluable 
dog. 

About  the  time  he  came  of  age,  or  shortly  after.  Watts 
was  in  command  of  seven  batteries  of  artillery. 


32  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

At  Washington  Watts  was  placed  second  in  command 
under  a  colonel  from  Ehode  Island,  who  has  been  repre- 
sented to  me  as  a  coarse  and  overbearing  man.  He 
insulted  Watts,  Watts  struck  him,  and  Stanton,  as  I 
shall  always  believe,  thinking  it  was  me  instead  of  Watts, 
summarily  dismissed  him.  He  was  eventually  restored, 
but  meanwhile  his  mind  had  been  affected  by  the  injury 
he  received  at  Chancellorsville,  and  although  I  sent  him 
to  Europe,  and  all  around  the  globe,  in  hopes  of  his 
recovery,  he  got  no  better,  consumption  set  in,  and  he 
died. 

A  particular  friend  of  mine,  who  had  the  run  of  the 
White  House,  went  to  Lincoln  to  get  the  reversal  of  my 
son's  dismissal.  Lincoln  answered,  "I  know,  by  report, 
of  the  patriotism  of  the  young  man's  father,  and  of  his 
own  gallantry,  but  I  can't  do  it  right  off.  If  I  was  to 
pardon  that  young  man,  for  striking  his  superior  for 
using  bad  language  to  him,  one-half  the  officers  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  would  be  caning  the  other  half 
before  to-morrow  night.  Come  back  to  me  in  six  months 
and  I  will  make  it  all  right."  Before  six  months.  Watts 
was  in  such  a  condition  that  his  life  was  about  ended, 
as  far  as  regarded  health  or  happiness. 

My  youngest  son,  Johnston,  was  at  the  Highland  Mili- 
tary College,  Newburg,  an  institution  established  on 
West  Point  principles,  in  1861.  He  was  fifteen  in  June 
of  that  year.  He  was  a  pretty  hard  colt  to  manage,  and 
wanted  to  run  away  and  join  the  army.  I  succeeded  in 
keeping  him  home  until  the  summer  of  1862,  when  he 
quit  school,  and  raised  a  company  for  a  regiment  being 
organized  in  my  district.  Although  I  never  urged  a 
human  being  to  go  to  the  war,  after  the  government 
twice  refused  me,  I  paid  ten  dollars  apiece  to  each  man 
who  signed  my  son's  muster  roll.  After  the  company 
was  raised,  Johnston  was  cheated  out  of  it  by  a  fellow 
who  afterwards  disgraced  himself. 

The  family  thought  Johnston  was  altogether  too  young 
to  take  a  commission,  but  he  was  dissatisfied,  and  all  the 
time  threatening  to  run  away.     In  the  winter  of  1863-4 


PROFFER  OF  SERVICES  33 

he  said  that  if  I  did  not  get  him  a  commission  he  would 
go  on  to  Washington  and  stand  an  examination  for  an 
oiBcership  in  a  negro  regiment.  A  dear  friend  of  mine 
was  a  major,  commanding  one  of  the  three  battalions 
constituting  the  Thirteenth  N"ew  York  Heavy  Artillery, 
so  I  let  Johnston  go  with  him. 

The  Thirteenth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery  was  almost 
a  realization  of  the  mythical  Horse-Marines.  One 
battalion  served  on  a  flotilla  of  gunboats,  another  on 
field  service,  while  a  third,  attached  to  heavy  guns,  consti- 
tuted tlie  garrison  of  Fort  O'Rorke,  one  of  the  advanced 
works  for  the  protection  of  Norfolk.  Of  this  the  com- 
mander was  Major  F.  R.  Hassler,  grandson  of  the  famous 
Hassler  who  first  organized  the  Coast  Survey,  and  my 
son,  Johnston,  was  his  Post  Adjutant. 

One  peculiar  feature  of  this  post  was  the  cultivation 
of  snapping  turtles  in  the  wet  ditches,  to  preclude 
desertion  and  prevent  the  men  from  breaking  bounds  at 
night.  Some  of  these  reptiles  were  "whoppers,"  with 
shells  as  large  in  circumference  as  the  orifice  of  a  bushel 
basket.  While  at  this  fort,  Johnston  was  taken  with  the 
fever  of  the  region,  and  to  save  his  life  Major  Hassler 
sent  him  home.  He  was  invalided  about  all  summer, 
and  such  an  effect  had  the  disease  upon  him  that  he  did 
not  recover  from  attacks,  generally  in  summer,  or  regain 
his  health,  for  eighteen  years. 

When  he  returned  to  his  regiment  he  found  General 
Shepley  in  command  of  the  post,  who  took  a  great  fancy 
to  Johnston,  and  made  him  his  aide.  When  Butler  got 
into  trouble,  and  was  removed  from  his  greater  com- 
mand, Shepley  lost  the  smaller  one,  and  was  sent  to 
Weitzel  as  Chief  of  Staff.  Thus  it  was  that  Johnston 
came  to  be  on  the  staff  of  the  latter. 

Now  comes  something  that  has  never  been  understood, 
and  explains  why  Johnston  deserves  so  much  credit  in 
connection  with  hoisting  the  first  flag  over  Richmond. 
As  full  corroboration  of  my  view,  see  article,  "Incidents 
of  the  Capture  of  Richmond,"  by  Major-General  Geo.  F. 
Shepley,  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  of  July  1880. 


34  JOHX  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  short  and  long  of  it  is  this:  when  Grant  was 
ready  to  make  his  last  move  against  Petersburg — which 
was  successful — in  order  to  prevent  Longstreet,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  from  sending  reinforcements  to 
Lee  on  the  south  side,  Weitzel  was  ordered  to  assault 
Longstreet's  lines.  It  was  perfectly  tmderstood  that 
there  was  little  or  no  chance  of  his  carrying  them,  and 
that  he  would  suffer  very  great  loss,  but  that  he  was  to 
do  his  best,  cost  what  it  might  in  life,  to  prevent  Long- 
street  from  detaching  a  single  man  to  the  assistance  of 
Lee. 

The  whole  thing  was  a  gigantic  forlorn  hope,  and 
Jolmston,  to  whom  was  entrusted  a  particular  flag,  which 
was  the  first  displayed  over  New  Orleans,  to  hoist  over 
the  Capitol  at  Richmond,  volunteered  to  lead  the  assault. 
I  have  his  letter  which  he  wrote  home,  stating  that  he 
could  not  write  particulars.  Something  important  was 
impending,  and  in  the  attempt  he  was  going  to  do  or  di« ; 
the  next  time  we  heard  from  him  he  would  be  dead  or 
glorious. 

The  night  before  the  intended  assault,  Johnston 
climbed  up  on  top  of  the  Signal  Tower,  and  saw  the 
light  of  a  great  conflagration  in  the  direction  of 
Richmond.  He  reported  it,  and  soon  after  a  negro  waif 
came  in  and  said  that  Richmond  was  being  evacuated. 
Thereupon  Weitzel  advanced  upon  the  city,  and  Jolinston 
hoisted  the  "first  real  American  flag,"  which  put  the 
seal  to  the  Rebellion,  and  of  which  I  have  oflicial  recogni- 
tion in  detail,  furnished  to  me  under  seal  by  the 
Secretary  of  War. 

Admiral  Farragut  said  that,  considering  Johnston's 
volunteering  with  the  expectation  of  leading  an  assault, 
the  fact  that  he  did  what  was  intended,  although  no 
assault  occurred,  entitled  him  to  just  as  much  recognition 
as  if  the  expected  peril  had  been  undergone,  and  it  was 
in  taking  exactly  this  view  of  the  case  that  the  general 
and  State  governments  acted,  and  conferred  the  brevets 
of  lieutenant-colonel  and  colonel,  for  his  hoisting  the 
"first  real  American  flag"  over  Richmond. 


Hoisting  First  Real   American   Flag  over  the  Capitol  of  the   captured   Rebel   Capital, 
Richmond,  Moiida      3d  April,  1865,  by  Lt.-Col.  Johnston  Livingston  de  Peyster,  A.D  C. 


PROFFER  OF  SERVICES  35 

That  fact  was  not  mentioned  in  his  brevet-commission. 
I  heard  it  explained  as  follows:  Wilson,  chairman  of 
committee  on  brevets,  was  from  Massachusetts.  A 
detachment  of  cavalry,  perhaps  from  that  State,  or  under 
a  Massachusetts  ofiScer,  had  been  ordered  to  follow  up 
the  retreating  rebels;  but,  instead  of  doing  so,  galloped 
up  to  the  capitol  and  hoisted  their  guidons  before  anyone 
was  aware  that  the  Yankees  were  in  Richmond.  Grant 
decided  that,  under  the  circumstances,  guidons  were  not 
a  flag,  and  that  Johnston  was  entitled  to  all  the  credit 
of  displaying  the  first  flag. 

But  here  Grant's  justice  ended.  Quite  a  sum  of  money 
was  given  by  someone  to  constitute  a  reward  for  the 
soldier  or  officer  who  hoisted  the  first  American  flag  over 
Riclimond.  Grant  chose  to  decide  that,  as  Richmond 
was  not  absolutely  taken  by  assault,  and  Petersburg 
technically  (not  actually)  was,  the  reward  should  go  to 
those  who  planted  the  first  flag  in  Petersburg.  I  wanted 
to  contest  the  matter,  but  Johnston  and  the  family  were 
against  it. 

I  never  believed  in  Grant.  I  think  that  all  that  he  did 
was  due  to  circumstances,  and  not  to  himself,  and  I  was 
not  afraid  of  his  reputation,  with  truth  and  justice  on 
my  side,  my  tongue  to  talk,  my  pen  to  write,  and  access 
to  newspapers — particularly  some  that  were  not  friendly 
to  Grant,  one  of  which  is  not  afraid  to  come  out  and  say 
its  say,  even  amidst  the  manufactured  furore  attending 
his  obsequies.  Grant  was  always  surrounded  by  a  ring, 
and  working  for  favorites.  I  consider  that  he  sacrificed 
Warren  in  the  worst  degree,  Wright's  reputation  in  a 
lesser  degree,  and  even  the  gallant  Humphreys,  who, 
least  of  all  three,  in  the  pursuit  of  Lee,  was  overslaughed, 
that  Sheridan  might  have  the  whole  credit. 

Grant  was  either  utterly  incapable  of  estimating  the 
comparative  merits  of  men,  or  else  he  was  destitute  of 
honor  in  recording  his  judgment  of  them.  His  classifi- 
cation of  Humphreys  is  either  a  proof  of  ignorance  or 
an  evidence  of  a  mean  depreciation  of  a  man  who  had 
served  him  well,  but  who  was  too  honest  to  pervert  the 


36  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

truth  to  condone  Grant's  shortcomings  in  the  shattering 
of  the  "Army  of  the  Potomac"  against  the  superior 
handling  of  the  "Army  of  Northern  Virginia"  by  Lee. 
I  have  said  this  openly.  I  printed  as  much  and  worse 
while  Grant  lived,  so  it  is  not  unmanly  to  record  my 
opinion  of  him  now  that  he  is  where  Macbeth  sent 
Duncan,  I  consider  that  Grant  was  the  personification 
of  selfishness,  and  that  his  greatness  consisted  in  nothing 
but  his  sublime  disregard  of  human  life  and  suffering, 
and  his  pertinacity,  in  which  he  presented  a  perfect 
contrast  to  what  great  generals  call  jDottering  indecision. 
After  the  war,  Jolmston  was  a  sort  of  aide-de-camp 
to  Crawford.  He  went  out  to  Spain  as  military  attache 
to  Sickles.  Everybody  likes  the  boy,  and  considers  him 
brave  and  able ;  but  whether  the  effects  of  the  fever  were 
stronger  than  his  will  power,  or  whether  he  was  sick  or 
inert,  his  activity  ceased,  after  the  war,  until  after 
eighteen  years. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  PROPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER 

Unable  to  secure  a  commission  as  brigadier-general 
from  either  the  State  or  ISTational  authorities,  and 
suffering  from  hemorrhages  which  probably  would  have 
proved  fatal  if  aggravated  by  the  hardships  inseparable 
from  service  in  any  lower  rank,  General  de  Peyster,  as 
we  have  seen,  was  prohibited  from  participating  in  the 
field  operations  of  the  Civil  War.  This  inaction,  galling 
to  his  spirit,  was  especially  so  in  view  of  the  timidity  and 
blunders  of  the  Union  generals  during  the  early  part 
of  the  struggle.  In  a  letter  to  Honorable  Jolm  Hickman, 
10  April,  1862,  he  says: 

"A  good  chess-player,  blindfolded,  can  understand  the 
moves  upon  a  chess-board  and  direct  the  pieces  as  well 
as  a  poor  player  who  has  his  eyes  uncovered.  Even  so 
a  soldier,  one  who  has  studied  and  understands  strateg}% 
can  comprehend  what  movements  should  be  made  and 
direct  the  march  of  divisions  upon  the  strategic  chess- 
board, although  the  eye  of  sense  cannot  overlook  the 
details  which  are  perfectly  visible  to  the  eye  of  his  mind. 
Thus  from  my  tower  I  contemplate  the  positions  and 
manoeuvres  of  the  different  corps  of  our  army,  shudder 
when  I  see  them  jeopardized,  impatient  when  I  feel  that 
they  are  misdirected,  and  sad  or  furious  when  I  know 
they  are  sacrificed.  We  are  winning  the  game  at  the 
cost  of  men  and  money  which  genius,  single-mindedness 
and  vigor  might  have  economised  wonderfully." 

The  anxiety  with  which  he  watched  the  course  of 
events  received  a  strong  personal  accentuation  through 
the  enlistment  of  his  sons,  one  after  the  other.  In  a 
letter  to  his  father,  17  May,  1862,  he  wrote:  "Of  all 
the  de  Peysters  who  talk  so  much  about  patriotism,  my 
sons  alone  have  represented  the  family  upon  the  battle- 

37 


38  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

field.  I  now  feel  that  it  is  easy  to  preach  at  home,  and 
another  thing  to  peril  one's  life  amid  steel  and  ball." 

During  this  period  General  de  Peyster  carried  on  a 
correspondence  with  General  Kearny,  his  cousin,  General 
Joseph  Hooker,  General  Butterfield,  General  William 
I*.  Wainwright,  Colonel  Charles  S.  Wainwright,  his  sons, 
other  officers  in  the  field,  Governor  Morgan,  of  New 
York,  John  Hickman,  and  other  prominent  men.  Many 
believed  that  the  war  would  soon  be  over,  that  a  few 
Union  victories  would  bring  the  South  to  terms,  or  effect 
a  compromise.  General  de  Peyster,  from  the  beginning, 
maintained  that  the  conflict  would  be  one  of  years,  until 
either  the  North  or  the  South  had  become  completely 
subjugated.  He  reiterated  this  opinion  in  a  letter  to 
Lieutenant  J.  Cleve  Symes,  12  September,  1862 : 

"I  predicted  that  six  years  would  elapse  from  the 
inauguration  of  Lincoln  until  the  settlement  of  the 
question,  and  rest  assured  that  the  country  will  be  re- 
united either  under  our  own  old  constitution,  or  under 
the  constitution  of  the  Confederate  States,  with  the 
North  as  victors  or  victims." 

He  felt  outraged  when  England  imperatively  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  Commissioners,  Mason 
and  Slidell,  taken  from  the  "Trent"  in  November,  1861. 
"I  would  have  hung  Slidell  and  Mason,"  he  wrote,  in 
his  first  outburst  of  indignation,  "and  have  given  up  the 
bodies.  And  now,  were  I  sure  England  meditated  war, 
I  would  detach  twenty-five  thousand  men  from  the 
Potomac,  hurry  them  into  Canada,  and  so  effectually 
destroy  the  locks  of  the  Eideau  and  Welland  Canals  that 
no  gunboat  could  get  up  to  the  lakes  for  years." 

At  the  beginning  of  the  struggle,  on  the  ground  of 
military  necessity  and  of  humanity  alike,  he  advocated 
an  enactment  by  Congress,  or  a  decree  by  President 
Lincoln,  emancipating  the  slaves.  He  urged  that  the 
negroes  be  employed  in  digging  trenches  and  erecting 
fortifications  for  the  Union  armies.  Basing  his  opinion 
upon  historical  examples,  which  he  cited,  he  also  main- 
tained that  negro  regiments,  with  white  officers,  would 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  39 

prove  effective,  and  would  be  especially  useful  for  service 
in  malarious  districts  to  which  the  Northern  whites  were 
not  acclimated. 

•^^hether  such  an  awful  catastrophe  as  an  uprising  of 
the  blacks  at  the  instigation  of  the  North  could  find 
favor  with  European  civilization,  a  self-constituted 
judge,"  he  wrote,*  "is  not  the  question ;  the  question  is, 
what  is  the  pleasure  of  our  Supreme  Euler,  and  is  it  ncft 
our  privilege,  as  well  as  our  duty,  by  a  middle  but 
straightforward  course,  by  freeing  and  using  lawfully  (in 
an  equitable  as  well  as  a  legal  sense)  the  slaves,  and 
providing  by  restraint  against  their  excesses,  to  end  the 
war  speedily,  and  thereby,  through  their  emancipation, 
and  through  the  consequent  cooperation  of  the  measure, 
save  blood,  money,  and  time,  all  of  which  expenditure 
must  fall  most  heavily  upon  the  loyal  North,  already 
innocently  suffering — heavily  suffering — to  prevent  the 
maintenance  and  extension  of  an  evil  whose  gangrene 
was  gradually  invading  every  member  and  permeating 
every  tissue  of  the  Commonwealth." 

He  declared  that,  whether  or  not  the  North  was 
prepared  for  the  measure,  God  would  bring  about  the 
liberation  of  the  slaves.  In  an  article  printed  18  April, 
1862**  he  said,  "As  the  power  to  liberate  the  poor, 
oppressed  slave  is  in  the  hands  of  God  alone,  and  as  He 
delivered  His  people  of  old  with  a  high  hand,  and  an 
outstretched  arm  from  Egyptian  bondage.  He  will  deliver 
the  poor,  down-trodden  slaves  of  America  by  His  judg- 
ments, as  He  cannot  do  it  by  His  mercies." 

"It  is  strange  that  our  countrymen  will  not  see,"  again 
he  wrote  in  a  letter  to  Hickman,  12  July,  1862,  "that 
in  the  blacks  consists  our  strength  and  the  enemy's 
weakness,  and  that  our  Government  is  pursuing  a  course 
which  is  converting  an  element  of  power  into  an  element 
of  feebleness,  and,  by  a  blindness  which  is  incomprehen- 
sible, permitting  the  Eebels  to  transmute  slavery  from 


•"Wisdom  out  of  History  on  the  Present  Relation  of  our  GoTern- 
ment  to  Slavery,"  The  Republican,  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  16  May, 
1862. 

♦•The   Republlean,   Chester,   Pennsylvania,    18    April,    1882. 


40  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

a  poison  into  a  nutriment,  i.e.,  by  employing  slaves  as 
auxiliaries  and  thus  sparing  their  armies.  Thus  did 
Napoleon  err  and  fall  from  the  summit  of  greatness  to 
the  depth  of  ruin.  While  we  are  playing  with  the  fire 
which  is  consuming  our  means,  it  is  enveloping  us 
ourselves  in  its  circle  of  destruction — such  is  the  bitter- 
ness expressed  toward  those  who  are  in  favor  of  emanci- 
pating and  employing  the  slaves." 

Throughout  the  war  tHe  mistakes  and  stupidity  of  the 
Union  generals  were  a  constant  aggravation  to  him. 
"How  did  McClellan  come  to  let  the  enemy  retreat 
without  troubling  them  ?"  he  writes  to  his  cousin,  General 
Kearny,  18  March,  1862,  after  General  Joe  Jolmston 
had  evacuated  Manassas.  "From  the  maps,  which 
Edward  Kearny  says  he  sent  you,  at  my  request,  it  would 
seem  to  me  they  occupy  a  better  position  now  for  purely 
defensive  operations — upon  the  line  of  the  Eappahannock 
and  Rapidan,  stretching  from  northeast  to  southwest, 
their  right  resting  on  Fredericksburg,  their  centre  on 
Gordonsville,  their  extended  extreme  right  on  Cumber- 
land Gap — than  when  they  displayed  themselves  north 
and  south  along  the  Potomac.  For  aggressive  defensive, 
particularly  against  Washington,  the  first  line  was  the 
best.  They  now  occupy  a  central  position,  cover  their 
.communication,  operate  on  extensive  lines,  and  are 
certainly  nearer  to  their  supply  of  subsistence  and 
■material. 

"They  occupy  a  central  position,  such  as  Napoleon  did, 
when,  abandoning  his  siege  material  in  the  trenches 
before  Mantua,  he  annihilated,  successively,  the  Austrian 
columns  which  debouched  from  the  Tyrol  and  Freuland 
defiles.  They  have  relinquished  much  of  their  material 
on  their  riparian  works  and  Manassas  stronghold,  but 
■they  have  improved  the  general  aspect. 

"On  the  other  hand,  we  are  getting  farther  and  farther 
from  our  base  of  supply  and  reenforcement,  and  as  long 
as  they  occupy  Fredericksburg,  they  menace  our  commu- 
nications, perpendicularly  almost.  If  we  afford  them 
time  to  fortify  their  new  positions,  how  arfe  we  better  off.? 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  41 

Was  I  not  right  in  wanting  to  turn  them  by  Fredericks- 
burg, advancing  thence  directly  by  Richmond?  Were  it 
not  for  the  Rebels'  disasters  in  the  West,  I  should 
consider  our  task  a  much  harder  one  than  when  they 
occupied  Manassas." 

Behind  the  mistakes  of  the  Union  leaders,  he  recognized 
an  overruling  Providence.  He  expresses  this  in  a  letter 
to  Hickman,  10  April,  1862:  "What  was  the  arrival  of 
the  Monitor  at  the  crisis  other  than  a  direct  interposi- 
tion of  Providence?  Again,  what  saved  our  army  at 
Pittsburg  (Landing,  or  Shiloh)  but  Providence,  keeping 
back  Beauregard  until  BuelFs  lethargic  advance  brought 
his  forces  within  saving  distance?  Again,  Providence 
saved  Curtis  at  Pea  Ridge.  Nothing  but  the  occurrence 
of  a  swollen  stream,  and  the  fall  of  two  Rebel  leaders  on 
the  same  day,  preserved  the  Federal  Army  from  destruc- 
tion. I  think  the  military  operations  of  almost  all  our 
leaders  a  series  of  blundering  efforts  rendered  victorious 
by  the  same  Arm  which  fought  for  Joshua  and  Gideon." 

At  times  he  grew  despondent.  In  this  mood  he  writes 
to  Hickman,  21  May,  1862 :  "Last  night  I  was  stigma- 
tized as  a  determined  radical  by  a  worthy  man  because 
I  gave  it  as  my  opinion  that  if  we  do  not  kill  slavery, 
slavery  will  kill  the  Republic;  if  we  do  not  crush  out 
the  slave  aristocracy,  the  slave  representation,  with 
kindred  serpents,  will  stifle  us.  I  was  the  first  to  suggest 
the  idea  of  negro  regiments,  with  white  officers,  for 
malarious  districts,  for  which  I  was  hooted  doM^n,  an  idea 
now  generally  recommended.  I  have  toiled,  and  learned, 
and  suggested,  sowed,  watered,  and  grown,  only  to  see 
others  harvest,  until  I  have  learned  to  think  that  Provi- 
dence designed  me  for  other  work,  and,  ceasing  to 
struggle,  have  suffered  myself  to  sink  beneath  the  wave 
of  the  ambitious  crowd.  Are  you  affected  by  the  same 
despondency  ?" 

Almost  immediately  upon  the  inauguration  of  the 
movement,  he  prophesied  that  McClellan's  Peninsular 
Campaign,  of  1862,  would  end  in  failure.  In  letters  to 
General    Kearny    and    others    he    maintained  .that   thj3 


42  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

advance  upon  Eichmond  should  be  through  Fredericks- 
burg, and  that  McClellan's  move  was  a  gross  violation 
of  true  strategy.  In  a  letter  to  Hickman,  31  May,  1863, 
he  pointed  out  that  the  course  of  events  were  confirming 
his  judgment.  "Do  you  not  think  that  it  is  very  evident 
now  that  either  McClellan  underestimated  his  adversaries, 
made  grave  miscalculations,  or  committed  a  worse  error 
in  advancing  up  the  Peninsula,  and  permitting  the 
enemy  to  escape  out  of  the  Peninsula,  when  he  had  the 
command  of  the  water  on  both  sides?  It  seems  to  me 
that  only  two  Generals  have  shown  generalship,  Mitchell 
and  Pope.  All  the  rest  seem  to  me  to  act  as  if  Provi- 
dence were  leading  them,  half  blind,  out  of  dark  places 
into  which  they  had  thrust  themselves.'^ 

Bank's  defeat  in  West  Virginia  occasioned  another 
outburst,  in  a  letter  to  Hickman  dated  37  May,  1863. 
'^Vhat  do  you  think  of  Bank's  defeat?  What  a  burden 
of  sin  is  on  some  one's  conscience  and  soul.  My  heart 
bleeds  for  the  poor,  abandoned  Unionists  of  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley.  How  can  we  expect  Union  sentiment  to 
develop  itself,  when  we  only  invoke  it  to  abandon  it  to 
the  vengeance  of  its  enemies,  as  in  North  Carolina  last 
summer,  and  twice  in  Virginia  and  Florida  ?  In  this  war 
the  Right  owes  no  debt  of  acknowledgment  to  men. 
Providence,  and  Providence  alone,  saves  us,  sustains  us, 
and  wards  off  the  blows  of  our  enemies.  When  I 
contemplate  the  blunders  of  our  leaders,  and  see  their 
consequences  multiplied,  I  think  of  Elisha  and  Dothan, 
and  the  chariots  of  fire  encompassing  him  and  Jacob, 
guarded  by  the  angels  at  the  camp  of  Manhanaim." 

In  the  dark  days  of  the  summer  of  3863  he  takes 
heart  from  a  local  manifestation  of  patriotism  in  Duchess 
County,  where  he  lives,  and  writes  accordingly  to  his 
friend,  14  August,  1863:  "John  Hickman,  the  North  is 
not  alive  and  luke-warm,  not  dead  and  dissolving,  not 
sunk  in  the  slumber  of  the  opiate,  but  asleep  and  ready 
to  awaken!  Our  eyelids  are  not  yet  unsealed,  but  there 
is  a  grasp  upon  the  arm  which  will  rudely  but  effectually 
shake  away  sleep." 


THE  PKOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWEK  43 

In  a  letter  to  Colonel  Charles  S.  Wainwright,  26 
August,  1862,  he  severely  arraigns  McClellan.  "For  a 
moment  I  suffered  my  judgment  to  change,  and  myself 
to  suppose  that  you  must  be  better  able  to  judge  of 
McClellan  than  I.  But  I  say  unhesitatingly  that  if 
McClellan  had  the  majority  of  chances  to  take  Eichmond 
in  forty-eight  hours,  and  withdrew  simply  because  the 
Government  ordered  it,  against  his  better  judgment,  with 
orders  out,  and  all  arrangements  made  for  an  advance 
upon  the  Eebel  capital,  he  is  not  a  man  to  be  at  the  head 
of  such  an  army,  for  he  has  not  the  requisite  independ- 
ence and  self-confidence. 

"Had  he  taken  Eichmond  against  orders,  the  country 
would  have  borne  him  out  in  any  breach  of  orders.  Had 
he  failed,  he  could  not  be  more  condemned  than  he  is 
now.  If  he  had  all  the  other  qualities  of  the  greatest 
generals  of  history,  coupled  with  want  of  energy,  faint- 
heartedness, and  unwillingness  to  assume  responsibility, 
he  is  not  the  man  for  us,  for  the  occasion,  or  for  the 
age.'' 

In  a  letter  to  his  cousin,  General  Kearny,  written  two 
days  before  the  latter's  fall  on  the  field  of  Chantilly,  he 
comments  upon  the  failure  of  the  Peninsular  Campaign, 
recalls  his  prophecy  of  failure,  and  warns  of  the  imminent 
danger  of  the  fulfilment  of  another  prediction,  the 
invasion  of  Mar)dand  or  Pennsylvania  by  the  Confed- 
erates. "  'You  have  gone  and  done  it,'  as  the  street  boys 
say.  What  has  been  the  result  of  your  expedition  to 
the  Peninsula?  What  return  for  two  hundred  million 
dollars  of  outlay  and  ten  thousand  dead,  sick,  crippled, 
wounded,  broken-dovm  men?  Did  I  not  tell  you  what 
would  be  the  fate  of  such  a  move,  and  admonish  you 
your  only  strategic  line  of  advance  was  through 
Fredericksburg?  And  here  you  are  back  again  and 
fighting  for  the  safety  of  Washington  in  the  same  fields 
you  manoeuvred  on  in  the  mud  of  1861.  Gracious! 
Where  is  the  young  Napoleon  and  the  great  men  we  were 
promised — and  lavished  men  and  money  upon  like 
water?  *  *  * 


44  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 


«i 


^Look  out,  or  what  I  foretold,  and  gave  you  numerous 
examples  of,  in  mine  of  February  15,  1862,  will  be 
carried  out  and  repeated  on  our  soil,  and  a  Eebel  inburst, 
eluding  your  half  dead  and  alive  divisions,  'en  aire,' 
carry  devastation  and  dismay  into  Pennsylvania,  or  hope 
and  horror  into  Maryland. 

"There  is  no  real  discipline,  as  I  understand  it,  in  our 
army,  if  the  accounts  I  receive  are  correct.  Deserters 
come  and  go  without  experiencing  the  death  penalty, 
sentries  sleep  at  their  posts,  and,  worse  than  all,  our 
generals  seem  asleep  everywhere.  Can  it  be  the  talent 
of  commanding  is  with  the  South,  and  the  North  permits 
no  great  man  to  show  what  its  people  could  do,,  if  they 
were  led?  Alas,  where  is  the  young  ISTapoleon  and  his 
marshals  ?     Where  ?" 

The  predicted  invasion  of  Maryland  occurred  in  less 
than  two  weeks  after  these  words  were  written,  while  the 
invasion  of  Pennsylvania  took  place  the  following  year. 

In  a  letter  to  Oliver  S.  Halsted,  9  September,  1863, 
General  de  Peyster  expresses  a  premonition.  "I  think 
things  are  rapidly  hurrying  to  a  crisis  of  one  kind  or 
another,  and  it  depends  now  not  in  the  ability  of  those 
who  have  proved  deficient,  and  are  behind,  but  in  the 
courage,  energy  and  ability  of  the  enemy,  who  are  before. 
All  my  fears  are  realized,  my  foretelling  come  true,  and 
I  await  the  result  of  the  last  month's  mistakes  and 
crimes,  unable  or  not  permitted,  by  health  or  position,  to 
assist  or  resist." 

This  letter  was  written  only  a  few  days  before  the 
battles  of  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  The  invasion 
of  Maryland,  following  the  failure  of  the  campaigns  of 
McClellan  and  Pope  and  the  death  of  Kearny,  was 
depressing  to  General  de  Peyster.  ''What  is  taking  place 
now,  I  predicted  or  shadowed  out  in  my  correspondence 
with  Phil  Kearny  last  winter,"  he  writes,  10  September, 
1862,  to  Colonel  William  P.  Wainwright,  "and  he  pre- 
dicted months  ago  that  if  things  were  managed  as  they 
had  been,  the  Eebels  would  redeem  their  scrip  in 
Philadelphia," 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  45 

'1  am  heartbroken  at  the  condition  of  public  affairs," 
he  writes  on  the  next  day  to  HaJsted,  "and  when  alone, 
without  excitement,  my  eyes  fill  with  unwonted  tears  at 
the  sacrifice  of  my  cousin."  "Alas!  Alas!"  he  cries  on 
the  day  following,  in  a  letter  to  Hickman,  "what  I 
shadowed  forth  last  December,  and  demonstrated  as 
feasible,  with  examples,  in  February,  has  come  to  pass. 
The  Eebels  are  over  the  Potomac,  and,  if  some  newspaper 
accounts  are  true,  over  Mason  and  Dixon's  line  likewise." 

In  the  same  letter  he  draws  a  parallel  between  the 
situation  of  the  jSTorth  and  that  of  the  eleven  tribes  of 
Israel  in  their  war  against  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  The 
cause  of  the  united  tribes,  like  that  of  the  North,  was 
just,  and  God  was  for  them,  yet  could  not  pass  over 
the  condition  of  the  people.  In  self-confidence  they  went 
up  against  Benjamin  and  were  defeated.  Outwardly 
humbling  themselves,  but  still  acting  in  self-suflQciency, 
they  again  went  forth  to  battle  and  suffered  a  second 
defeat.  Under  the  discipline  of  this  misfortune  they 
fasted,  wept,  prayed,  and  sacrificed,  and  God  gave  the 
Benjaminites  into  their  hands.  General  de  Peyster 
compares  the  Union  defeat  at  Bull  Eun,  in  July,  1861, 
the  disastrous  Peninsular  Campaign  of  1862,  and  second 
battle  of  Manassas,  to  the  two  defeats  of  Israel  by  Ben- 
jamin.    The  causes  of  these  defeats  he  sums  as  follows: 

"First,  as  a  just  punishment  for  the  general  vices  of 
the  nation,  but  more  particularly  for  its  idolatrous  prac- 
tices, perfectly  represented  in  our  own  case  by  our 
universal  and  all  absorbing  worship  of  mammon; 

"Second,  because  the  eleven  tribes  placed  such  exces- 
sive confidence  in  the  goodness  of  their  cause  that,  when 
they  went  to  consult  God,  after  the  assembling  of  their 
hosts,  instead  of  supplicating  His  divine  favor  in 
determining  the  issue,  they  only  inquired  of  Him  which 
of  the  tribes  should  make  the  first  attack." 

It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that,  within  less  than  a 
week  after  the  date  of  General  de  Peyster's  letter  applying 
these  lessons,  God  gave  Antietam  to  the  Union  cause, 
the  first  decisive  victory  of  the  war  in  the  East. 


46  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"Another  phase  of  the  disastrous  condition  of  our 
affairs  which  gives  me  more  pain  and  fear  for  the  result 
than  even  the  neglect  of  earnest  and  able  citizens,"  he 
writes  in  the  same  letter,  "is  the  perception  that  the 
authorities  seem  entirely  forgetful  that  there  is  a  God 
who  rules,  and  depend  entirely  upon  the  arm  of  flesh, 
which  has  more  than  once  proved  itself  a  Pharoah's  reed 
against  the  enemy. 

"Whether  it  be  from  true  conscientious  piety,  the  pride 
which  apes  humility,  or  the  hypocrisy  of  a  Machiavelli, 
the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  is  a  noble  example 
in  the  attitude  he  has  assumed  toward  his  Maker. 

"Does  victory  crown  the  Eebel  arms?  His  proclama- 
tion, which  announces  the  good  tidings,  is  simultaneous 
with  another  appointing  a  thanksgiving  for  the  mercy. 
Does  the  time  seem  inauspicious,  disaster  imminent,  or 
the  crisis  demand  the  inspiration  of  the  higher  Power? 
Instantly  goes  forth  a  proclamation  for  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer.  Thus  it  was  the  heroes  of  the  Bible  thought, 
wrought  and  fought.  Thus  Nehemiah  built  again  the 
walls  of  the  Holy  City,  and  thus  the  American  leaders, 
who  achieved  the  independence  of  this  country,  lifted 
up  their  voices  to  Him  who  has  promised  never  to  close 
His  ears  to  the  suppliant,  and  accomplished  the  greatest 
work  of  modern  times.  And  would  that  our  authorities 
at  Washington  could  see  the  beauty  of  even  a  Jefferson 
Davis's  example,  summon  our  people  at  once  to 
buckle  on  their  harness,  and  bow  their  knees  in  prayer, 
and  exhort  them,  while  using  the  arm  of  flesh,  to  suppli- 
cate the  favor  of  the  Almight)^ — tliat  underneath  they 
may  find  the  support  of  the  everlasting  arms." 

The  critical  situation  preceding  the  battle  of  Antietam 
led  General  de  Peyster  to  another  effort  to  induce  the 
New  York  authorities  to  organize  the  State  militia  to 
meet  a  possible  invasion  of  the  North  by  Lee's  army. 
In  a  letter  to  Governor  E,  D.  Morgan,  12  September, 
1862,  he  writes : 

"In  view  of  the  lamentable  results  of  the  military 
operations    on    the    Potomac    and    elsewhere,    and    the 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  47 

possible  consequences  of  continual  blundering,  aggravated 
by  treasonable  assistance  to  the  Rebels,  whose  ramifica- 
tions seem  to  be  too  deeply  concealed  for  discovery  and 
punishment,  would  it  not  be  better  to  put  New  York  on 
a  war  footing,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency — war 
from  without  and  insurrection  within  ?  I  have  taken  an 
opportunity,  more  than  once,  to  allude  to  the  peculiar 
structure,  morally  considered,  of  the  district  I  live  in, 
and  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  have  matters 
ready  to  strangle  any  adverse  move  with  the  first 
indication.  To  revise  the  militia  organization  would  be 
one  move,  and  if  you  conclude  to  do  it,  I  would  like  to 
be  restored  to  command  as  a  supernumerary  officer, 
temporarily  deprived,  and  now  reinstated  in  my 
place  *  *  * 

"Permit  me  to  suggest  two  things:  First,  a  day  of 
fasting  and  prayer  for  the  countenance  and  assistance  of 
Him  who  alone  giveth  or  witlilioldeth  the  victory;  and 
second,  a  vigorous  preparation  of  the  State  infantry 
forces  to  protect  ourselves  or  to  aid  our  neighbors  who 
cover  us.  Let  us  not  depend  on  Washington  officials, 
but  rely  upon  our  right  arms,  supported  by  that  beneficent 
Being  who  will  aid  us  if  we  will  aid  ourselves." 

At  the  same  time  he  sought  the  cooperation  of  others, 
urging  that  they  second  his  suggestions  by  writing  to  the 
Governor  or  to  the  Adjutant-General.  The  following, 
dated  from  Brooklyn,  IG  September,  1862,  was  received 
in  reply  from  Major-General  Harmanus  B.  Duryea. 

"Personally,  I  always  had  the  highest  esteem  for  you 
and  I  have  always  considered,  and  so  frequently  stated, 
that  you  first  gave  an  improved  tone  to  military  affairs 
in  this  State,  and  that  the  whole  Union  is  indebted  to 
you  for  your  labors  to  elevate  and  instruct  the  Militia. 
That  you  perceived  what  should  be  done,  and  had  a  high 
aim,  I  never  considered  a  fault,  as  some  may  have  done 
who  could  not  appreciate  your  designs,  nor  the  necessity 
for  military  preparation  which  you  anticipated,  and 
which  recent  events  have  so  fully  justified.  I  preserve 
and  frequently  refer  to  your  reports  and  other  writings, 


48  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

as  most  valuable  contributions  to  our  military  literature. 
So  much  for  my  feelings.     As  to  the  business. 

"I  have  always  urged  the  effective  organization  of  the 
Militia.  My  views  are  known  to  the  Governor,  and  were 
so  known  at  an  early  stage  of  these  troubles.  I  will 
write  him,  or  the  Adjutant-General,  again,  and  perfectly 
coincide  in  your  views." 

Nevertheless,  this  attempt  was  as  fruitless  as  had  been 
all  previous  efforts  to  transform  the  New  York  militia 
into  an  efficient  organization.  About  this  time  the 
creation  by  Lincoln  of  a  private  staff,  with  General  de 
Peyster  at  its  head,  was  suggested  to  the  President  by 
Oliver  S.  Halsted.  Halsted  was  well  acquainted  with 
General  de  Peyster,  and  had  been  intimate  with  General 
Philip  Kearny.  He  requested  copies  of  letters  written 
by  General  de  Peyster  to  Kearny  and  others,  containing 
his  predictions  and  military  views,  to  be  submitted  to 
Lincoln.  General  de  Peyster  forwarded  the  letters,  but 
expressed  some  doubt  of  his  ability  to  submit  to  the 
humiliations  which  the  proposed  position  might  involve. 

"I  will  try  and  send  the  other  letters  to-morrow,^'  he 
wrote  to  Halsted,  11  September,  1862,  'T)ut  I  am  satisfied 
that  I  could  not  for  an  hour  stand  such  treatment  as 
Pope  was  subjected  to  by  (what  shall  I  say?)  conceited 
favorites,  however  brave,  and  men  willing  to  sacrifice  a 
sudden  promotion,  however  confident,  to  their  jealousy 
and  pride  of  position."  Again,  on  13  September,  he 
wrote  to  Halsted: 

"Since  I  wrote  last  to  you  I  have  received  such  a 
mortal  shock  that,  upon  my  word,  I  do  not  wonder  that 
independent  men  cannot  get  along  at  Washington.  Not- 
withstanding Pope,  it  is  claimed,  was  beaten  fifteen  days 
successively,  and  charged  the  causes  of  his  defeats  upon 
his  not  being  supported  by  those  inferior  to  liim,  who 
owed  him  their  support,  I  see  that  everyone  has  been  sent 
back  to  his  commission  without  the  slightest  investiga- 
tion. Now,  if  General  Pope,  the  particular  friend  of 
the  President,  cannot  obtain  justice,  what  chance  would 
an  outsider  have? 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWEPt  49 

"The  two  legal  advisors  that  I  have  had  for  twelve 
>ear3,  one  the  most  intimate  and  devoted  friend,  stated 
that  the  reason  why,  with  all  my  quickness  of  perception 
and  study — not  to  repeat  their  very  flattering  expressions 
— I  did  not  get  along  successfully,  was  because  I  was 
unconciliating  in  my  manners  when  I  thought  I  was 
right.  This  may  be  so.  I  know  I  do  not  like  to  have 
more  than  one  master  on  earth,  and  One  (Whom  I  will 
sooner  obey  than  the  other)  in  Heaven;  for  an  earthly 
master  is  finite,  the  other  Infinite. 

"I  can  bring  a  testimonial  from  Governor  Clark  as 
to  my  fidelity  under  the  most  trying  circumstances  to 
him — fidelity  in  a  position  in  which  most  men  would 
have  rebelled.  I  resigned  because  he  asked  me  to  do 
something  which  afl'ected  the  honor  of  my  race.  That  I 
could  not  do,  although  politicians  did  not  see  the 
point." 

On  the  same  day,  13  September,  1862,  he  writes  to 
Colonel  Charles  P.  Wainwright:  "I  hope  your  great 
generals  will  quit  displaying  their  generalship,  as  they 
have  done,  and  blunder  into  some  victories;  for  they 
must  blunder  into  successes,  if  their  defeats  are  the 
evidence  of  great  generalship.  I  will  add  that  the  results 
of  such  generalship  as  theirs  was  predicted,  in  a  great 
measure,  or  indicated  as  probable,  in  a  series  of  letters 
to  General  Kearny,  copies  of  which  letters,  coinciding 
with  General  Kearny's  views  as  to  what  should  be  done, 
have  been  transmitted  to  Washington,  at  the  request  of 
a  friend  of  the  President,  to  be  laid  before  the  President." 

On  17  October,  1862,  Halsted  wrote  to  General  de 
Peyster  as  follows :  "I  got  an  opportunity  to  open  your 
matter  to  the  President,  and  also  to  the  most  prominent 
Major-General,  Joseph  Hooker.  *  *  *  As  soon  as  he  is 
well,  there  will  be  a  change  of  program — McClellan  will 
be  reduced  to  a  limited  command,  or  lower.  Hooker  and 
certain  other  active  generals  will  have  the  lead,  and  a 
fall  campaign  be  opened  on  fighting  principles.  I  shall 
see  Hooker  to-morrow,  and  shall  talk  fully  your  program 
over  with  him.     I  am  satisfied  I  can  secure  a  position 

4 


50      !7/0']J0HN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

suitable  to  your  talents  and  great  military  accomplish- 
ments, and  satisfactory  to  you,  at  an  early  day." 

A  few  days  later,  25  October,  1862,  General  de  Peyster 
mentions  the  proposal  of  Halsted  in  a  letter  to  General 
Hooker.  "I  hear  that  you  are  to  receive  the  command 
of  an  independent  army  corps,"  he  writes,  "or  of  a  very 
large  dependent  force,  and  you  might  like  to  have  some 
one  who  knows  what  backing  a  general  needs,  near  the 
President — one  whose  health  would  not  permit  him  to 
work  for  an  active  command  for  himself,  and  one  who, 
although  he  would  consider  it  a  sacrifice  of  self  to  go 
to  Washington  at  all,  would  do  it  from  a  sense  of  duty. 
Mr.  Halsted  told  me  he  would  speak  to  the  President 
about  putting  me  on  his  private  staff,  if  he  organized  one, 
and  about  the  1st  June,  1861,  I  offered  myself  to  the 
President  as  a  sort  of  Aide-de-Camp,  after  he  had  refused 
me  as  a  Brigadier-General,  with  a  Brigade." 

A  further  reference  to  the  matter  is  found  in  a  letter 
of  Halsted  to  de  Peyster,  1  November,  1862:  "I  had 
seen  and  read  with  much  interest  your  article  in  the 
'Times,'  and  agree  with  you  fully  in  your  history,  Napo- 
leonic Strategy,  and  its  application.  *  *  *  i  put  the 
paper  in  General  Hooker's  hands.  He  is  delighted  with 
your  views,  and  estimates  your  military  accomplishments 
at  their  true  value. 

"Nothing  will  be  done  of  any  acocunt  until  after  the 
New  York  election,  even  the  pretended  forward  move- 
ments will  have  no  practical  results.  A  new  program 
will  be  developed  soon,  and  should  it  prove  as  I  antici- 
pate, I  shall  secure  the  benefit  of  such  great  services  as 
I  know  you  can  render  in  a  position  alike  most  honorable 
and  agreeable  to  you." 

Nothing  came  from  Halsted's  attempts  in  this  direc- 
tion. We  insert  in  this  place,  however,  a  note  from  him 
to  General  de  Peyster,  written  in  1869,  in  which  he  states 
that  the  President  entertained  the  proposed  plan. 

"New  York,  June  4,  1869. 
"Dear  General: 

"I  see  the  question  agitated  by  the  English  Press,  who 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  51 

is    General    de    Peyster    to    whom    General    Oust    has 
dedicated  his  last  military  work? 

"Ae  one  who  knows,  I  can  answer  from  several  stand- 
points. First  and  foremost,  he  is  the  blood  cousin  of 
my  friend,  Major-General  Phil  Kearny,  who  proved 
liimself  the  best  field  fighting  General  of  the  War,  and 
whom  I  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  the  most 
thorough  and  accomplished  General  the  War  produced, 
up  to  the  period  of  his  untimely  death  at  Chantilly, 
which  alone  prevented  his  advancement  to  the  command 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  as  I  have  reason  to  know 
from  repeated  assurances  of  President  Lincoln. 

"Next,  I  do  know  that  President  Lincoln  at  one  time 
contemplated  giving  General  de  Peyster  the  high  military 
position  of  Chief  of  his  Personal  Staff,  an  independent 
organization  contemplated,  and  warranted  by  the 
demands  and  necessities  of  the  occasion,  which  appoint- 
ment was  overruled  by  interested  parties,  who  were 
unwilling  the  General  should  occupy  a  position  so 
important  and  independent. 

"Yours  truly, 

"Pet  Halsted." 

We  also  give  a  letter  from  Adjutant-General  William 
S.  Stryker,  of  New  Jersey,  written  to  General  de  Peyster, 
13  February,  1894,  in  which  he  refers  to  the  relation 
which  Halsted  sustained  toward  President  Lincoln 
during  the  war. 

"Yours  of  yesterday  received.  I  remember  *Pet* 
Halsted  very  well,"  he  writes.  "His  correct  name  was 
Oliver  S.  Halsted,  and  he  was  the  son  of  the  Oliver  S. 
Halsted  who  was  Chancellor  of  New  Jersey  in  1845.  I 
know  that  it  was  a  common  report  that  he  had  a  good 
deal  of  influence  with  Mr.  Lincoln.  Of  course  I  have 
no  special  knowledge  on  this  point. 

"On  the  13th  day  of  September,  1863,  I  was  seated 
in  Willard's  Hotel,  Washington,  waiting  for  a  train  to 
convey  me  home  on  leave  of  absence,  when  'Pet'  Halsted 
came  in  and  said  that  Mr.  Lincoln  wished  to  see  me. 
Mr.  Lincoln  had  evidently  sent  him  to  me,  because  I  had 


53  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

that  morning  reported  the  surrender  of  Fort  Wagner,  in 
South  Carolina,  to  General  Halleck. 

"  Tet'  Halsted  took  me  immediately  into  the  White 
House,  introduced  me  to  Mr.  Lincoln,  and  I  had  nearly 
two  hours'  conversation  with  him. 

"It  appeared  to  me,  at  that  time,  as  if  'Pet'  Halsted 
had  full  access  to  Mr.  Lincoln  and  the  White  House. 
There  must  be  a  great  many  general  officers  who  know 
all  about  this  matter.  General  Slocum  and  General 
Franklin  would,  I  suppose,  be  well  posted  on  the  subject." 

General  de  Peyster  continued  his  advocacy  of  the 
policy  of  organizing  negro  regiments  until,  at  length, 
the  Government  began  to  act  upon  the  suggestion.  In 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Swinton,  8  December,  1862,  the  General 
wrote : 

"I  suggested  the  organization  of  colored  regiments  as 
early  as  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  At  that  time  my 
opinion  was  based  on  their  conduct  in  San  Domingo. 
Since  then  I  have  seen  their  efficiency  corroborated  in 
other  works  and  ways.  *  *  *  If  rnen's  prejudices  could 
be  overcome  by  any  moderate  amount  of  proof,  it  would 
be  unnecessary  to  adduce  any  further  arguments  in  favor 
of  black  regiments ;  but  as  there  are  still  many  cavillers, 
it  does  no  harm  to  accumulate  testimony." 

In  a  letter  to  Governor  Morgan,  16  January,  1863, 
General  de  Peyster  again  urged  his  views  in  connection 
with  the  State  militia.  "You  did  not  place  me  in  a 
position,"  he  added,  "commensurate  with  my  experience, 
study,  and  the  estimate  I  set  on  my  capacity  for 
service.  *  *  * 

"Every  undertaking  which  I  predicted  would  fail, 
judging  from  military  rules,  has  failed.  Every  operation 
I  suggested  as  a  keynote  to  success,  has  told.  Every 
officer  I  designated  as  competent,  has  proved  himself  so; 
and  I  have  a  host  of  letters  from  able  men  to  prove  all 
I  claim.  I  merely  mention  this  to  show  you  that,  not- 
withstanding my  bad  health,  I  might  have  earned  the 
commission  I  sought." 

In  a  letter  to  C.  C.  Clark,  27  July,  1863,  speaking  of 


THE  PROPHET  ON"  THE  WATCH  TOWER  53 

the  draft  riots,  General  de  Peyster  wrote,  "I  predicted 
this  outbreak  when  Seymour  was  elected,  and  besought 
my  friends,  almost  like  praying,  not  to  vote  for  him, 
because  I  foresaw  the  evil  which  would  result  from  his 
success. 

"Mr.  Woods  will  tell  you  that,  strange  as  it  may 
appear,  I  have  predicted  everything  which  has  occurred 
since  the  election  of  Lincoln;  not  from  any  peculiar 
sagacity  of  my  own,  but  because  I  am  a  close  student 
of  history,  and  have  from  my  boyhood  up  accustomed 
myself  to  analyze  what  I  read,  compare  like  causes  and 
like  results,  and  apply  the  reasons  to  current  events. 
Thus  I  foretold  our  rebellion,  the  result  of  the  first 
battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  of  every  conflict  this  side  of  the 
Alleghanies.  Ignorant  of  the  topography  of  the  West, 
I  could  not  apply  my  military  studies  to  the  measuring 
of  occurrences  west  of  them." 

During  the  first  year  of  Governor  Seymour's  second 
term  in  office,  and  before  the  draft  riots  occurred, 
General  de  Peyster  wrote  at  length,  urging  the  new 
Governor  to  undertake  the  effective  reorganization  of  the 
New  York  State  troops  which  vainly  he  had  urged  upon 
Governor  Morgan.  This  letter,  dated  29  June,  1863,  is, 
in  part,  as  follows: 

"Against  the  advice  of  my  friends,  who  consider  that 
my  offers  have  been  met  with  disrespect  too  often  already, 
I  cannot  refrain  from  recapitulating  what  I  know  in 
regard  to  neglect  in  organizing  our  State  Troops.  *  *  * 
When  I  returned  from  Europe,  I  laid  before  your 
Excellency  (as  I  had  done  before  your  predecessor  in 
office)  a  plan  for  the  thorough  organization  of  a  National 
Guard.  At  great  expense  and  wear  and  tear  of  body 
and  mind,  by  tongue,  pen,  and  type,  I  endeavored  to 
impress  its  necessity  upon  our  State  authorities.*  *  *  As 
Adjutant-General  I  sowed  my  head  with  gray  hairs, 
trying  to  put  my  views  in  practice,  until  I  was  forced  to 
quit  Albany  by  a  clique  of  prejudiced  and  interested 
politicians.  *  *  *  When  this  war  actually  broke  out,  I 
urged  upon  political  leaders  (looked  upon  by  the  masses 


54  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

as  the  incarnation  of  political  astuteness)  the  necessity 
of  organizing  home  corps,  or  State  corps,  or  mobilized 
militia,  as  a  nursery  for  officers,  non-commissioned 
officers,  and  reliable  soldiers.  How  was  I  met?  As  no 
man  of  practical  experience  and  position  had  a  right  to 
be  met.  *  *  *  l  offered  at  Washington  to  raise  troops, 
and  was  repulsed.  *  *  *  On  a  second  application,  incited 
by  my  Rector,  I  asked  no  salary  if  I  did  not  succeed  in 
all  I  promised.  *  *  * 

"Although,  I  repeat,  broken  in  health,  still,  backed  by 
authority,  I  believe  I  can  yet  raise  troops  for  defensive 
if  not  aggressive  service.     Do  we  not  need  them? 

"Look  at  Portland.  How  near  complete  success!  The 
bold  stroke  of  a  handful !  Turn  to  Pennsylvania. 
Fearful !  The  destruction  of  the  great  bridges  would 
pay  all  the  expenses,  in  the  last  ten  years,  of  maintaining 
a  good  militia,  according  to  the  plan  I  proposed,  by 
holding  yearly  camps  of  officers,  &c.  *  *  *  Where  are 
we  to  get  troops,  worthy  the  name,  after  the  existing 
armies  are  wasted,  as  preceding  armies  have  been  wasted  ? 

"I  foretold  the  war  would  outlast  the  term  of  President 
Lincoln,  and  that  our  armies  (I  did  not  calculate  waste, 
or  the  navy;  or  the  prodigality  of  political  schemes) 
would  cost  three  hundred  million  dollars  a  year.  I  was 
laughed  at  as  a  madman,  but  I  was  below  the  mark.  *  * 

"Your  Excellency  has,  at  your  control,  iron,  food,  and 
money — men  also.  You  can  cover  tliis  State  with 
Roldiers,  and  can  convert  a  nation — for  this  State,  in 
itself,  is  a  nation — into  an  army,  and  a  nursery  of 
armies,  following  the  Swiss  plan,  even  to  its  code  of 
punishment,  and  its  economies.  *  *  *  Swiss  organization 
enabled  Switzerland  to  put  down  secession  in  twenty- 
three  days,  and  hold  at  bay  even  military  Prussia  and 
arrogant  Austria — always,  like  England,  ready  to  bully 
the  weak  and  unprepared.  *  *  *  Raise  the  flag,  draft, 
and  fill  the  gaps  with  old  soldiers.  *  *  *  At  least, 
organize  the  masses  on  paper,  so  that  men  can  be  found 
when  wanted ;  organize  mobilized  corps,  to  maintain 
discipline  and  enforce  the  draft.'* 


THE  PEOPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWEE  65 

In  a  letter  to  General  Hooker,  29  April,  1864,  General 
de  Peyster  says:  "It  is  very  curious  how  I  indicated  in 
a  letter  to  Abraham  Lincoln — a  letter  which  a  friend  of 
mine  intercepted — the  very  plan,  for  your  operations 
against  Lee  in  Pennsylvania  last  year,  which  would  have 
resulted  in  the  annihilation  of  the  Eebel  army.  It  was 
to  gather  together  under  you  every  available  bayonet  and 
sabre,  and  fall  upon  the  rear  of  Lee  with  such  a  force 
as  would  have  squelched  him.  I  would  have  abandoned 
every  position,  unimportant  as  regards  the  great  result, 
to  employ  their  garrisons  in  the  accomplishment  of  a 
result  which  would  have  entailed  the  recovery  of  those 
positions  by  the  very  success  of  the  great  object,  the 
demolition  of  the  Eebel  Army  of  Virginia.  Had  you 
been  seconded,  as  you  planned,  and  should  have  been 
reinforced,  the  battle  of  4th  July,  1863,  would  have 
ended  the  Eebellion."  nf-i  hkf)  /m-m  mt 

I  De  Peyster's  letter  to  Lincoln,  referred  to  above,  dated 
30  June,  1863,  shortly  before  the  battle  of  Gettysburg, 
was  as  follows: 

"You  hesitate  to  abandon  unimportant  posts  in  order 
to  concentrate  their  garrisons  around  Lee,  the  papers  say, 
because  it  would  not  look  well  abroad  to  give  up  any 
ground  we  have  won.  Was  such  the  practical  strategy 
of  Bonaparte,  in  his  most  glorious  campaign  in  Italy,  in 
1796?  When  it  was  necessary  to  oppose  Wurmser,  he 
abandoned  the  siege  of  Mantua,  left  his  one  hundred  and 
forty  siege  guns  in  his  works,  marched  to  meet  and  beat 
the  Austrians;  and  then,  when  the  armies  of  succor  were 
disposed  of,  returned  before  Mantua  and  settled  its  fatp. 
No  great  general,  no  sensible  man,  no  man  of  average 
judgment,  hesitates  to  sacrifice  a  lesser  good  to  secure  a 
greater.  Great  generals  look  to  ends,  and  weigh  means 
only  in  their  relation  to  the  attainment  of  great  ends. 
I  "If  chronic  lethargy,  or  rather  apparent  lethargy  of 
conception,  can  be  shaken  off,  Lee  is  between  the  upper 
and  nether  millstone,  provided  the  concentration  of 
troops  affords  sufficient  power  to  the  machinery  to  grind 
him  to  atoms  there. 


56  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"Your  Excellency  may  consider  this  letter  as  of  even 
less  importance  than  the  offer  I  once  made  you  of  good 
troops,  and  subsequently  of  a  good  ojBBcer,  William  P. 
Wainwright,  but  history  and  eternity  will  hold  you 
responsible  for  the  partial  or  entire  ruin  of  the  North, 
when  we  offered  you  our  blood,  and  our  children,  and 
our  means,  without  (I  am  speaking  of  the  people,  not 
politicians)  stint,  or  selfish  thought  of  ourselves." 

General  de  Peyster  maintained  that  the  commanders 
of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  would  remain  unable  to 
solve  their  problem  so  long  as  their  actions  were 
controlled  by  a  short-sighted  policy  looking  only  to  the 
defence  of  the  national  capital.  In  a  letter  to  Colonel 
Charles  S.  Wainwright,  11  December,  1863,  he  said: 
''The  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  never  do  anything 
worthy  of  itself  until  it  cuts  loose  from  Washington,  as 
no  army  in  the  field  can  be  subordinate  to  orders  issued 
from  a  Bureau  in  Washington,  presided  over  by  a  theorist 
in  uniform  and  an  'Attorney  Secretary  of  War/  The 
situation  of  your  army  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
Austrian  main  army,  opposed  to  Frederic,  and  supposed 
to  cover  Vienna. 

"If,  after  the  money  spent  upon  the  defences  of 
Washington,  the  preservation  of  that  city  depends  upon 
keeping  an  army  to  defend  its  defences,  it  shows  that 
a  miserable  set  have  to  be  defended  within  those  defences. 
If  Lee's  army,  falling  back  on  their  lines  of  defence,  can 
stop  Meade's  army  whenever  it  appears  before  those  lines, 
it  seems  to  me  that  Meade's  army  might  dare  to  attack 
Lee,  having  the  defences  of  Washington  to  fall  back  upon 
in  case  of  a  reverse.  Meade's  army  is  like  a  brave  dog, 
attached  to  his  kennel  by  a  string,  or  held  by  an  owner 
afraid  to  let  him  loose.  How  much  better  it  would  have 
been  to  have  called  out  the  militia  for  three  months, 
while  the  season  was  still  good  for  operations,  to  defend 
Washington  and  the  line  of  the  Potomac,  while  Meade's 
army  tried  to  equal  the  dash  of  Grant's.  I  think  my 
brain  would  have  devised  a  plan,  if  I  had  had  the 
authority  and  body  to  carry  it." 


THE  PROPHET  ON  THE  WATCH  TOWER  57 

It  was  not  until  Grant  became  Lieutenant-General  and 
was  given  powers  making  him  practically  independent  of 
dictation  from  Washington  that  a  campaign  was  inaugu- 
rated which  terminated  the  war. 


fM'lO'HM 

•[ff;oji;)(aq  iitiii  ^r. . ,. 
CHAPTER  XXXIII 

MILITAKY   WRITINGS  DURING  THE  WAR 

A  spectator  of  the  operations  in  the  field,  throughout 
the  war  General  de  Peyster  put  forth  a  constant  succes- 
sion of  articles  and  pamphlets.  They  constituted  a 
running  commentary  upon  the  battles  and  campaigns. 
He  analyzed  these,  criticizing  them  in  the  light  of  the 
great  campaigns  of  history,  so  constantly  cited  in  all 
his  military  writings.  Some  of  his  articles  were  purely 
technical  expositions  of  tactics,  or  of  practical  strategy. 
In  others  he  sought  to  influence  Congress,  or  the  Presi- 
dent, in  important  matters  of  public  policy,  such  as  those 
of  the  emancipation  of  the  negroes,  and  their  employ- 
ment in  the  Union  armies. 

The  reverses  on  the  plain  of  Manassas,  21  July,  1861, 
called  forth  three  articles,  "Eighteen  Reasons  why  we 
lost  the  Battle  of  Bull  Run,"  "Parallels  to  Bull  Run," 
and  "Justice  to  McDowell's  Army."  In  that  hour  of 
gloom  he  lifted  a  cry  of  hope,  declaring  that  the  defeat 
was  due  to  inexperience,  rather  than  to  the  incompetence 
of  our  officers,  and  certainly  not  to  any  cowardice  of  the 
rank  and  file,  for  whom  he  predicted  the  brave  and 
brilliant  conduct  which  afterwards  they  displayed  upon 
a  hundred  fields. 

As  a  sentinel  upon  the  lookout,  observing  events,  he 
believed  that  he  recognized  a  lack  of  proper  military 
conceptions,  and  this  he  sought  to  remedy  in  a  series  of 
articles  which  appeared  in  1861.  These  included,  "Mili- 
tary Lessons  and  Ideas  Indispensible  to  the  Comprehen- 
sion of  War"  (three  articles),  "Reflections  on  the  Defence 
of  Military  Positions,"  "Notions  on  Tactics,"  and 
"Military  Maxims." 

The  complete  inaction  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
under   McClellan,   throughout   the   winter   of    1861-62, 

fiS 


MILITARY  WEITINGS  DURING  THE  WAR  59 

induced  General  de  Peyster  early  in  1862,  to  issue  a 
pamphlet  of  twenty-four  pages  on  "Winter  Campaigns." 
In  this  he  demonstrated,  by  citing  an  array  of  historical 
examples,  the  feasibility  of  successful  military  operations 
in  the  coldest  weather.  Perhaps  this  monograph  was  a 
chief  agency  in  revolutionizing  the  policy  of  our  armies. 
Certain  it  is  that  the  Union  victories  at  Mill  Springs, 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Roanoke  Island,  Murfrees- 
boro,  Arkansas  Post,  and  Nashville,  the  occupation  of 
Wilmington,  Sherman's  march  from  Atlanta  and  capture 
of  Savannah,  and  Grant's  tenacious  hand  upon  Peters- 
burg, holding  Lee  with  an  icy  grip  which  finally  ended 
the  war,  are  eloquent  commentaries  upon  General  de 
Peyster's  timely  advocacy  of  winter  operations. 

Military  articles  from  his  pen  rapidly  followed  one 
another  during  1862.  These  included,  "Notions  on 
Tactics"  (two  articles),  "Military  Conversations  about 
Uniforms,  Equipments,  Artillery,  &c,,"  "Aerostation  in 
War,"  "Military  Lessons:  Cavalry  and  Teamsters," 
"Modern  Tactics,"  "Wisdom  out  of  History  on  the 
Present  Relation  of  our  Government  to  Slavery,"  "Com- 
parison between  American  Slavery  and  that  among  the 
Hebrews  and  Early  Christians,"  "A  Visit  to  Old  Point 
Comfort  and  about  the  Contrabands  there,"  "Army 
Transportation — Want  of  Reorganization,"  "Military 
Lessons:  I,  Concerning  the  Qualities  a  General  should 
possess;  II,  Hannibal;  III,  Tactics  of  the  Three  Armies 
United;  IV,  Battle  of  Idstedt,"  and  an  article  and  a 
poem  on  General  Kearny. 

In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  printed  "Battles  in 
Forests."  This  appeared  in  timely  anticipation  of 
Chancellorsville,  the  great  struggle  in  the  dense  woods  of 
the  Wilderness,  which  prepared  the  way  for  the  Union 
triumph  at  Gettysburg,  as  it  also  anticipated  the  battles 
of  the  Wilderness  in  Grant's  final  campaign,  which  led 
to  the  gates  of  Richmond  and  to  Lee's  surrender. 

General  de  Peyster's  military  publications  during  1863 
included,  "Practical  Strategy,  as  illustrated  by  the  Life 
and  Achievements  of  a  Master  of  the  Art,  the  Austrian 


60  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Field  Marshal  Traun,'^  a  pamphlet  of  sixty-four  pages, 
"Military  Lessons:  Louis  XL,"  "Military  Lessons: 
Frederic  the  Great  in  the  Seven  Years'  War,"  "Greek 
Fire,"  "Secession  in  Switzerland  and  in  the  United  States 
Compared,"  a  pamphlet  of  sevent3''-two  pages,  "An  Inter- 
esting Article:  The  Present  Revolution  Foretold  sixty- 
five  years  ago,"  "The  Conduct  of  Military  Operations" 
(two  articles),  and  "Black  Troops:  Had  Hannibal  and 
Napoleon  Black  Blood  in  their  Veins?" 

His  "Practical  Strategy"  and  "Secession  in  Switzer- 
land" are  especially  notable.  In  the  first  of  these  mono- 
graphs, mainly  written  nearly  a  year  before  its  publica- 
tion, August,  1863,  he  protests  most  solemnly  against 
the  wholesale  sacrifices  of  Union  soldiers  to  no  purpose. 

"This  pamphlet,"  he  writes,  "is  called  forth  by  the 
contemplation  of  resultless,  or  comparatively  resultless, 
combats,  and  a  prodigal  waste  of  such  a  personnel  as 
never  before  constituted  the  bulk  of  armies.  The  loyal 
North  has  suffered  such  repeated  sacrifice  of  superior 
men,  that  the  question  forces  itself  upon  the  mind 
whether  such  expenditure  of  life  was  absolutely  necessary, 
and  whether  or  not  it  was  not  chargeable  to  ignorance  or 
incomprehension  of  the  plainest  rules  of  true  generalship 
and  practical  strategy. 

"The  most  thoughtless  and  unfeeling  man  could 
scarcely  repress  a  shudder,  if  he  would  only  pause  to 
reflect  upon  instances  of  the  fearful  waste  of  our  best, 
bravest,  and  most  experienced  oflScers  and  privates, 
staked,  with  a  desperation  unworthy  the  military  art, 
upon  almost  impossible  results — regular  Balaclava 
charges,  presenting  equal  chances  of  destruction,  with  far 
inferior  chances  of  success  and  glory.  These  sacrifices 
are  not  necessarily  attributable  to  leaders  in  the  field. 
Like  the  Balaclava  charge,  they  have  originated  in  orders 
sent  from  superiors  at  a  distance,  and  given  in  ignorance 
of  the  actual  condition  of  affairs  upon  the  spot." 

"The  greatest  test,  as  well  as  the  duty  of  a  general," 
he  continues,  a  little  further  on,  "is  to  avoid  an 
unnecessary    battle.     The    greatest    generalship     is    to 


MILITAEY  WRITINGS  DURING  THE  WAR  61 

conquer  without  fighting.  To  fight  requires  more 
courage;  to  coerce  without  fighting,  science." 

"Frederic  the  Great,"  he  adds,  "like  Hannibal,  his 
prototype  in  antiquity,  preferred  successes  achieved  by 
manoeuvring,  to  those  won  by  hammer  and  tongs  work, 
although  he  did  enough  of  both." 

Again  he  writes:  "If  generals  waste  their  best  men 
and  oflBcers,  particularly  against  works  and  cannon— for 
the  best  men  always  suffer  where  courage  and  ability  is 
requii-ed — a  country  must  eventually  depend  upon  the 
refuse  which  remains  behind,  inferior  indeed  in  head 
work,  hand  work,  and  heart  work.  *  *  *  To  sacrifice 
good  old  regiments  is  like  turning  the  intelligent  and 
industrious  out  of  school,  and  keeping  on  only  with  the 
dunces  and  slothful.  *  *  * 

"Practical  strategy,  which  preserves  life,  is  as  much  an 
obligation  upon  a  general  as  it  is  the  duty  of  a  surgeon 
to  preserve  a  limb  by  treatment.  The  poorest  surgeon 
can  'barber'  off  a  member,  but  it  is  often  the  highest 
glory  of  the  best  surgeon  to  save  one.  To  what  then 
are  we  to  attribute  the  prodigal  waste  of  life  which  has 
characterized  this  war?  To  all  those  appointers  and 
appointees  who  have  underestimated  and  miscompre- 
hended practical  strategy!  To  prove  what  a  master  of 
the  art  did  accomplish  through  the  observance  and  appli- 
cation of  its  rules,  and  to  show  what  can  be  effected  by 
a  general — hailed  by  his  soldiers  on  a  bloody  field  as  'our 
father' — who  valued  the  lives  of  his  soldiers,  understood 
his  business,  and  knew  how  to  economize  them,  this 
little  work  has  been  written." 

Grant,  at  least,  among  our  generals,  seems  never  to 
have  profited  from  these  timely  warnings.  The  most 
appalling  sacrifices  of  the  war  were  made  by  him  during 
his  campaign  against  Lee — sacrifices  which  proved  useless, 
since,  after  making  them,  he  always  had  to  resort  to 
flanking  movements  in  order  to  gain  his  ends. 

In  his  pamphlet  General  de  Peyster  says :  "That  great 
results  have  been  accomplished  by  even  second-class 
generals,  through  their  comprehension  and  application 


62  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

of  practical  (real)  strategy,  without  delivering  or  accept- 
ing, or  without  being  forced  into  a  great  battle,  has  been 
proved  by  all  reliable  military  history."  He  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that,  at  the  date  of  his  writing, 
scarcely  any  Union  general,  except  Eosecrans,  had  made 
any  serious  attempt  to  apply  the  principles  of  practical 
strategy.  "Have  our  generals,"  he  asks,  "with  the  excep- 
tion, perhaps,  of  Eosecrans  and  Gilmore,  ever  apparently 
weighed  means  and  obstacles — materials  in  hand,  with 
materials  indispensible  to  the  object?  In  fact,  how 
many  military  maxims  of  acknowledged  authority  have 
our  generals  ignored?  And  if  every  hour  conceded  to 
the  enemy  for  fortification  be  equal  to  the  reinforcement 
of  a  battalion  to  that  enemy,  against  what  odds  have  our 
soldiers  been  called  upon  to  combat  ?  With  what  dispro- 
portionate means  have  our  leaders  undertaken  to  compel 
victory  ?" 

The  strategic  principles  by  means  of  which  the  North 
ultimately  prevailed,  the  "Anaconda  system"  then 
universally  derided,  he  defends  and  justifies.  The 
pamphlet  chiefly  consists,  however,  of  a  critical  account 
of  the  notable  success  which  Traun  achieved  by  means 
of  practical  strategy — a  teaching  by  historical  object 
lessons. 

"If  the  blood  of  our  glorious  dead,"  concludes  de  Pey- 
ster,  "has  been  wasted  through  ignorance  of  that  general- 
ship in  which  Traun  so  excelled,  it  has  not  been  shed  in 
vain  if  it  will  enrich  our  free  soil,  and  will  produce 
heroes  of  his  stamp  to  preserve  and  maintain  our 
country's  freedom.  *  *  *  There  will,  there  must,  some 
Traun  arise,  who  is  interested,  valiant,  wise  like  him, 
to  exercise  command  and  press  the  rebel  foe  from  out 
the  land  which  God  seems  to  have  established  for  free 
government — that  God  who  never  brought  a  betrayed 
and  outraged  people  through  the  Eed  Sea  of  corrupt 
and  treasonable  administration,  to  suffer  it  to  perish  in 
the  wilderness  of  anarchy,  or  under  the  heart  and  brain 
crushing  despotism  that  drove  oiir  forefathers  out  from  the 
Old  World  to  build  up  liberal  institutions  in  the  New." 


MILITAEY  WRITINGS  DUEING  THE  WAR  63 

In  his  "Secession  in  Switzerland,"  delivered  as  an 
address  before  the  Vermont  State  Historical  Society,  20 
October,  1863,  he  strikes  a  note  of  hope,  based  upon  a 
parallel  between  the  Swiss  and  American  wars  of 
secession. 

"The  rules  and  axioms  deducible  from  the  records  of 
nations,"  he  writes,  "applied  with  common  sense,  can  be 
relied  upon  with  the  same  security  as  experience. 
Republics,  however,  must  learn  from  republics.  Any 
attempts  to  draw  parallels  between  republics  and  mon- 
archies will  lead  to  fallacious  results. 

"At  the  present  time  there  is,  besides  the  United 
States,  but  one  real  republic  in  the  world.  Nominal 
republics  have  arisen  in  abundance  in  the  course  of  man's 
history,  but  the  federation  of  the  Swiss  cantons  is  the 
only  one  worthy  to  be  named  alongside  of  the  great 
American  experiment.  The  Spanish-American  common- 
wealths are  little  better  than  anarchies.  Of  the  three 
quasi  European  republics  that  existed  before  the  French 
Revolution,  all  were  extinguished  by  the  armies  of  the 
first  Napoleon.  Switzerland,  however,  still  remained  to 
bear  witness,  on  the  Continent,  to  the  principles  of  self- 
government  and  the   inextinguishable   spirit  of   liberty. 

"The  failure  of  former  republics  or  commonwealths, 
and  the  occasional  license  or  sporadic  excesses  of  liberal 
institutions,  should  neither  discourage  nor  disgust 
thinking  men." 

"From  the  failure  of  foreign  and  former  republics," 
he  adds,  "men  have  argued  that  freedom  in  government 
is  incompatible  with  human  existence  in  great  aggrega- 
tions and  developments — even  as  a  conjuries  or  family 
of  confederated  republics.  Switzerland  has  solved  the 
problem  on  a  small  scale.  The  United  States  is  now 
solving  a  similar  problem  on  a  grand  scale.  Woe  to 
mankind  if  we,  the  latter,  fail  to  do  our  duty." 

He  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Swiss  cantons 
were  formed  into  a  nation  by  means  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution, just  as  the  American  Revolution  had  united  the 
American  Colonies.     "The  decree  of  the  French  Direc- 


64  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

tory,"  he  writes,  "declaring  that  the  Swiss  federation  had 
ceased  to  exist,  and  organizing  Switzerland  into  a  single 
republic,  with  a  central  government,  was  not  without  its 
beneficial  effects.  The  French  Bevolution  commenced 
that  process  of  amalgamation  whicli  the  triumph  over 
secession,  in  1847,  carried  another  step  forward.  It 
crushed  Switzerland  into  something  like  a  nationality, 
which  was  a  comparative  blessing." 

Both  the  Swiss  and  American  republics  were  tested 
by  secession,  the  seceding  cantons  of  Switzerland  being 
in  a  minority,  as  were  the  Confederate  States  in  America. 
General  de  Peyster  boldly  predicted  that  our  Civil  War 
would  follow  the  course  of  Switzerland  in  the  following 
particulars : 

1.  The  united  cantons  of  Switzerland  were  completely 
victorious,  and  that  by  means  of  the  application  of  the 
"Anaconda  System." 

2.  The  cause  of  the  seceders  utterly  collapsed  the 
moment  their  armies  were  ruined  and  their  chief  cities 
occupied.  "This  should  be  a  consolation,"  wrote  General 
de  Peyster,  "to  those  who  fear  that  guerilla  war  in  the 
South  can  lead  to  any  successful  result,  or  defer,  for 
more  than  a  short  period,  its  entire  subjugation.  The 
Sonderbund  generals  saw  at  a  glance  the  game  was  up, 
after  their  armies  had  been  dissipated  and  the  principal 
places  taken.  So  will  it  be  with  our  Southern  secession. 
It  will  collapse  at  once  when  the  armies  of  Lee,  Bragg, 
Beauregard,  Johnston,  and  Magruder  are  destroyed." 

3.  The  Swiss  war  was  turned  into  a  blessing,  welding 
a  confederation  of  cantons  into  a  centralized  nation.  "No 
failure  could  have  been  more  decided,"  wrote  General 
de  Peyster  on  this  point,  "no  separation  more  mortifying, 
than  that  of  the  Ultramontane  Secession  League  in 
Switzerland.  No  action  could  have  been  more  prompt 
and  energetic,  no  triumph  more  complete  and  beneficial, 
than  that  of  the  Swiss  loyalists  or  Union  party.  *  *  * 

"The  final  result  seems  to  justify  the  idea  that  the 
madness  and  incipient  success  of  the  Separate  League 
was  promoted  by  Providence,  in  order  that  its  separation 


MILITAEY  WRITINGS  DURING  THE  WAR  65 

might  convince  Switzerland  of  the  defects  of  its  dis- 
located confederacy,  and  induce  the  cantons  to  consent 
to  a  more  determined  centralization  of  authority. 

"The  Separate  League,  which  was  to  have  divided 
Switzerland,  to  have  arrested  the  progress  of  the  age, 
and  have  restored  abuses  for  the  benefit  of  the  few,  to 
the  suffering  of  the  many,  had  a  directly  opposite  result. 
It  transmuted  the  loose  confederation  of  twenty-two 
independent  cantons  into  a  well-knit  nationality  of 
twenty-two  members.  *  *  * 

"The  effort  to  shatter  the  Alpine  republic,  in  a  brief 
period  proved  a  miserable  failure,  and  the  attempt  here 
made,  to  divide  and  destroy  our  free  government,  we 
know  will,  in  God's  good  time,  come  to  nought.  And 
even  as  the  national  life-struggle  in  Switzerland  ended 
in  a  more  healthy  and  national  existence,  so,  we  trust, 
the  fiery  trial  through  which  we,  as  a  people,  are  now 
passing,  will  eventuate  not  only  in  a  restored  unity,  but, 
if  need  be,  in  a  stronger  Democratic-Republican  govern- 
ment, better  fitted  to  perform  its  great  work  and  hold 
its  commanding  position  among  the  nations." 

In  the  same  pamphlet  General  de  Peyster  maintained 
that  enforcement  of  the  principle  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine, 
rejecting  outside  interference  in  our  affairs,  is  essential 
to  the  existence  of  the  republic;  and  he  predicted,  in 
veiled  language,  that  at  the  close  of  our  war  Maximilian 
and  the  French  invaders  of  Mexico  would  be  ejected. 
"Wherever  a  free  government,'^  he  wrote,  "invited  or 
promoted  foreign  interference,  that  government  was  over- 
thrown. The  Monroe  Doctrine  is  nothing  more  than  a 
recognition  of  this  immutable  law — and,  if  energetically 
applied,  it  is  an  antidote  to  the  poison  of  foreign  inter- 
vention in  the  affairs  of  this,  our  continent;  ours  by  the 
law  of  nature,  ours  by  the  force  of  arms,  as  soon  as, 
victorious  over  treason,  we  can  give  due  attention  to  the 
intrusion  of  foreign  enemies." 

General  de  Peyster  notes  a  marked  contrast,  in  one 
respect,  between  the  Swiss  war  and  ours.  To  the  wisdom 
of  the  Swiss  Unionists,  in  at  once  calling  out  a  large 


66  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

force  to  put  down  secession,  he  attributes  the  brevity  of 
their  struggle,  while  our  failure  to  do  this  he  severely 
criticises.  "The  first  Swiss  federal  call  for  volunteers," 
he  says,  "was  for  50,000  men,  equal,  in  proportion  to 
our  population,  to  a  levy  of  550,000  men.  President 
Lincoln's  first  demand  was  for  75,000  men,  equal,  in 
proportion  to  the  Swiss  population,  to  less  than  7,000. 
This  was  the  great  mistake  of  our  war.  The  second 
Swiss  federal  call  was  for  90,000  men,  equivalent,  in 
the  United  States,  to  a  levy  of  1,000,000;  100,000 
responded." 

The  ability  of  the  Swiss  instantly  to  place  upon  the 
field  a  force  so  large,  in  proportion  to  the  population, 
he  attributes  to  the  effective  organization  of  their  militia 
— a  condition  of  things  which  he  labored  so  assiduously 
to  bring  about  in  the  State  of  New  York.  "From  a 
comparison  of  all  the  different  statements,  between 
regularly  organized  troops,  militia  proper,  &c.,  out  of 
a  population  of  2,400,000,"  he  writes,  "at  least  200,000 
must  have  been  in  the  field,  or  in  garrison,  doing  duty 
with  the  armies  in  the  opposing  camps.  This  would  be 
equivalent  to  2,250,000  out  of  the  population  of  our 
whole  country.  North  and  South. 

"It  may  seem  surprising  that  a  comparatively  poor 
country,  like  Switzerland,  could  set  in  motion  so  large 
an  army  at  so  short  a  notice.  The  explanation  is  clear 
and  convincing.  The  cantons  possess  a  militia  so 
admirably  organized  that  it  can  be  placed  on  a  war 
footing  at  once.  The  Swiss  motto  is  one  which  should 
be  ours,  'No  regular  army,  but  every  citizen  a  soldier.' 
Our  Constitution  contemplated  this  result.  The  Swiss 
federal  triumph  was  undoubtedly  due  to  this  preparation 
for  war  in  time  of  peace." 

Numerous  military  articles  by  General  de  Peyster 
appeared  in  1864.  "Secession — Historical  Parallels," 
"The  War  in  Denmark,"  "The  Apparition  which  fright- 
ened the  Governor  of  Provence  out  of  his  Capital,"  "Med- 
ical Organization  of  the  Roman  Army,"  "So  Absalom 
stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel,"  "The  Lessons  of 


MILITAEY  WRITINGS  DURING  THE  WAR  67 

History,"  "Who  invented  Shell  Guns?"  "Medical 
Arrangements  of  the  Ancients,"  "John  Cavalier,"  and 
"Von  Bulow's  Military  Remarks  on  the  Revolutionary 
War,"  were  among  the  number,  together  with  verses  on 
"General  Joe  Hooker,"  "Farragut,"  and  "Sherman." 

Among  other  prophecies  or  predictions,  to  be  found  in 
his  writings  during  this  period,  was  one  in  connection 
with  the  ending  of  the  war.  He  claimed  that,  through 
the  interference  of  politicians  with  the  commanders  in 
the  field  and  the  incompetence  of  those  whom  he 
described  as  "improvised  generals,"  the  North  would 
win  at  last  by  swarming  out  the  South,  flooding  the 
fires  of  secession  with  the  blood  of  our  soldiers.  "The 
war  will  terminate,"  he  wrote,  "as  the  poor  wounded 
soldier  saved  his  comrades  from  being  blown  up  by  a 
mine.  He  crawled,  bleeding,  over  the  passage,  and 
soaked  the  powder  with  his  blood,  as  we  Northerners 
will  soak  the  South  into  incombustion  with  our  blood, 
and  swarm  them  out  as  sand  flies  swarm  a  light."* 

•The  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  Volume  I,  Number  51,  page  841. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIV 

DECISIVE  WARS   AND  BATTLES 

In  this  and  several  chapters  following  we  give  extracts 
from  some  of  General  de  Peyster's  early  writings  upon 
our  Civil  War,  as  the  best  means  of  conveying  a  just 
impression  of  the  flavor  and  force  of  his  military 
criticisms. 

While  he  published  isolated  articles  upon  the  great 
captains  of  ancient  times,  and  upon  famous  battles  of 
antiquity,  his  systematic  military  studies  begin  with  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.  That  great  European  struggle 
stands  at  the  beginning  of  what  may  be  called  the 
modern  period  of  warfare,  and,  with  succeeding  wars,  it 
furnishes  the  lessons  which  illustrate  present  practice. 
"As  a  study,''  writes  General  de  Peyster,  "scarcely  any, 
even  the  most  celebrated  military  critics,  have  ever  paid 
sufficient  attention  to  the  strategy  and  tactics  of  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.  It  was  emphatically  the  transition 
period  between  the  Old  and  New,  and  when  hostilities 
had  closed,  war,  both  as  an  art  and  a  science,  had  been 
re-born."* 

The  great  modern  wars  and  their  leaders.  General  de 
Peyster  has  briefly  characterized  for  us  in  his  "Decisive 
Conflicts." 

"Modern  military  history  proper,"  he  writes,  "may  be 
said  to  commence  with  the  XVII.  century.  Since  then 
the  Old  World  has  been  convulsed  with  three  great  wars, 
which,  each  in  its  turn,  determined  the  fate  of  human 
progress;  and  our  own  continent  with  one. 

"I  The  Thirty  Years'  War,  necessary  for  the 
acknowledged  establishment  of  freedom  of  religious 
belief. 


♦Thirty   Years   War,    page   48. 

68 


DECISIVE  WAES  AND  BATTLES  69 

"II  The  wars  between  William  III.  and  Louis  XIV., 
which  lasted — for  the  interspaced  peaces  were  only  truces 
or  breathing  spells — about  half  a  century,  forty-three 
years.  These  arrested  Eomanism  and  Despotism,  the 
influence  of  the  Latin  race  and  slave-thought,  as  opposed 
to  that  of  the  Saxo-Germanic  race  and  free-thought. 
Their  effects  were  momentous,  and  the  result  deeply 
affected  America. 

"Ill  The  wars  which  grew  out  of  the  French  Eevo- 
lution.  These  lasted  twenty-three  years ;  and  if  the  fact 
is  recalled  that,  although  the  mine  was  in  Europe,  the 
spark  which  occasioned  the  explosion  came  from  America, 
they  lasted  forty  years. 

"IV  Our  great  war  was  the  American  conflict  to 
crush  the  Slaveholders'  Eebellion  and  liberate  4,000,000 
of  human  beings  and  their  descendants. 

"What  ended  these  wars  ?  The  ordinary  answer'  will 
be  'decisive  battles.'  This,  however,  does  not  answer  the 
question;  for  the  solution,  the  real  cause,  lies  deeper. 
The  cause  which  rendered  the  battles  decisive  was 
exhaustion,  and  notliing  but  the  exhaustion  of  the  war- 
power  of  the  South  ended  the  'Slaveholders'  Eebellion.' 
The  hero  of  each  of  these  wars  was  the  general  who 
perceived  wherein  lay  the  fountain  of  vitality,  or  of 
recuperative  force  in  the  enemy,  and  struck  home. 

"The  general  who  in  reality  rendered  the  pacification 
of  Germany  possible  was  Torstenson. 

"The  ruling  spirits  of  the  second  great  war,  alluded 
to,  were  William  III.,  as  a  king  and  as  a  commander; 
Marlborough,  as  a  diplomatist  as  well  as  a  general;  and 
Prince  Eugene,  as  a  leader  and  as  a  soldier ;  but  without 
the  first  and  the  last  the  result  must  have  been  far 
different,  since  they  threw  themselves  into  the  contest 
with  a  fierce  energy,  such  as  alone  has  its  origin  in 
personal  feeling.  The  first  was  the  soul  of  the  initiative, 
and  he  gave  such  an  impulse  to  men  and  events  that, 
when  his  body  had  long  since  dissolved  in  the  grave,  his 
spirit  was  still  equally  potent  in  the  council  chamber 
and  on  the  battle  field. 


70  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"The  wars  of  Frederic  the  Great  were,  in  some 
respects,  of  import  to  humanity,  in  that  they  were  to  a 
certain  extent  religious  wars  for  the  emancipation  of 
thought;  wars  to  maintain  the  spirit  of  liberty  against 
the  crusades  of  coalesced  Eomanist  and  soul-tyrannizing 
powers.  But  Frederic — greatest  among  the  great  as  a 
soldier,  a  tactician,  a  strategist,  all  that  goes  to  make  up 
a  perfect  soldier — himself  had  no  such  object  in  view. 

"His  first  lure  was  a  province  and  glory;  afterward 
the  aggrandizement  of  his  house.  His  every  thought  was 
for  Frederic ;  everything  depended  upon  and  around  self. 
Men  and  means  were  nothing  to  him,  except  so  far  as 
they  ministered  to  his  ends.  It  is  very  questionable  if 
even  the  arch-egotist,  Napoleon,  had  a  more  thorough 
contempt  for  his  kind,  except  so  far  as  they  could  prove 
useful,  than  Frederic.  What  the  one  termed  'cannon's 
food,'  the  other  styled  'pawns,'  and  both  held  humanity 
equally  cheap. 

"The  hero  of  the  European  wars  which  grew  out  of 
the  American  Revolution — for  the  French  Revolution 
grew  out  of  ours,  as  sure  as  the  full  day  has  its  birth  in 
the  dawn — the  hero,  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  was 
Blucher.  He  must  divide  the  applause  with  Napoleon, 
for  the  frenzied  ambition  of  the  one  to  overthrow  and 
crush  all  that  opposed  him  was  only  exceeded  by  the 
fierce  hatred  of  Blucher,  and  his  thirst  for  vengeance, 
which  could  only  be  slaked  in  the  overthrow  and  utter 
ruin  of  Napoleon,  the  oppressor  and  desolator  of  his 
native  Germany. 

"Blucher  almost  stands  alone  as  a  commander,  in  that 
personal  influence  which  can  carry  nearly  exhausted  men 
on,  after  a  battle,  to  an  annihilating  pursuit  of  the 
enemy,  or  from  a  doubtful  or  lost  field  to  another  fight 
as  desperate  as  its  predecessor.  The  fact  is  scarcely 
susceptible  of  discussion,  that,  without  Blucher,  the  Allies 
would  hardly  have  gone  to  Leipsic;  would  never  have 
gone  to  Paris ;  would  not  have  hunted  Napoleon  from 
his  usurped  throne ;  would  not  have  sent  him  to  his  island 
prison,  there  to  burn  up  through  his  own  consuming 


I'l; 


JOHN   WATTS   DE   PEYSTER 
From  Photograph  taken  in  January,   1875 


DECISIVE  WAES  AXD  BATTLES  71 

passions;  and  yet  tins  same  energetic,  personally  indom- 
itable Blucher  was,  in  1806,  driven  into  a  position  akin 
to  that  of  Lee  at  "Williamsport,  and  compelled  to 
surrender  through  the  same  causes  which  must  have 
compelled  the  Eebel  army  to  capitulate  had  those  condi- 
tions been  duly  taken  into  account — the  want  of  ordnance 
stores  for  the  fire-arms  and  cannon,  the  want  of  food  for 
the  men,  the  want  of  fodder  for  the  horses. 

"I  never  pretended  to  be  a  prophet,  nor  the  son  of  a 
prophet,  but  I  have  always  claimed  that,  since  Tiistory  is 
experience  teaching  by  examples,'  it  was  necessary  to 
oppose  to  the  unanimous  vigor,  engendered  by  the  hatred 
toward  the  Xorth,  which  animated  the  Southern  people, 
an  energy  and  a  fanaticism  as  potent  as  those  influences 
which  filled,  upheld,  and  stimulated  the  Eebel  armies: 
that  the  Eebels  must  be  made  to  feel,  and  that  they  only 
could  be  made  to  feel  by  striking  home;  T)y  carrying  on 
war  to  the  bitter  end,'  as  Early  did;  by  the  destruction 
of  their  institutions  and  their  substance,  whose  only 
bulwarks  were  their  armies  in  the  field. 

"In  an  address  delivered  at  Montpelier,  Vermont,  20th 
October,  1863.  I  predicted  that,  with  the  destruction  of 
the  principal  Eebel  armies,  the  war  would  be  at  an  end 
at  once;  that  there  would  be  no  guerilla  war,  no  farther 
resistance.  In  similar  cases  it  always  had  been  so:  it 
was  so  in  our  case.  Xow  the  man  in  power  who  saw 
this  (and  could  make  other  men  see  this)  was  Grant, 
and  in  his  pertinacious  working  to  that  result  his  great- 
ness consists.  Grant  is  a  great  man,  a  very  great  man; 
immense  in  the  indomitableness  of  his  energy  and  his 
will.  His  comprehensive,  prescient  grasp  of  mind,  and 
obstinacy,  constitute  him  the  hero  of  the  war  for  sup- 
pressing the  Slaveholders'  Eebellion. 

'^hen  the  time  had  come  for  Xapoleon  to  fall,  then 
Blucher  rose  to  independent  command.  Grant  was  like 
Blucher.  He  was  very  great  in  his  correct  estimate  of 
what  he  could,  and  what  the  Eebels  could  not,  stand. 
After  the  immense  depletion  of  the  Wilderness — cam- 
paign  of   1864 — he  could  actually  make   his  iron  will 


72  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

serve  as  the  substitute  for  the  loss  of  strength  through 
that  depletion,  appreciating  that  the  Eebels  could  less 
afford  to  lose  one  than  we  to  suffer  the  loss  of  three.  In 
this  comprehension  of  relative  force,  Grant  was  very 
great,  a  very  great  man  and  orderer. 

"Grant  never  could  have  postponed  for  another  day, 
and  another  field,  and  another  battle,  what  was  to  be 
done  and  could  be  done  then  and  there.  Grant  was  ever 
of  the  same  opinion  of  Blucher  that  'the  neglect  to  utilize 
a  victory  to  the  utmost,  involves,  as  an  inevitable  conse- 
quence, the  fighting  of  a  new  battle,  in  which  everything 
done  (or  won)  may  be  undone  (or  lost).'  And  even  as 
Grant,  and  Thomas,  and  Sheridan  were  of  the  same 
opinion  of  Blucher,  'der  Alte  Blucher'  was  imbued  with 
the  sentiments  of  Frederic,  and  Marshal  Saxe,  and 
Torstenson,  and  of  all  the  great  captains  and  generals 
who  have  greatly  succeeded,  who  have  acted  in  accordance 
with  the  idea  which  Suwarrow  formalized  in  the  words, 
'Stupay  y  hey!'     'Advance  and  strike  !'  " 

In  the  same  work  General  de  Peyster  summarizes  his 
judgment  as  to  the  decisive  battles  of  our  own  great  war. 

"In  1865,"  he  says,  "the  writer  contemplated  the 
preparation  of  a  'History  of  the  Slave-holders'  Eebellion,' 
which  was  to  be  written  with  the  assistance  of  a  Loyal 
JSTortherner,  who  was  conscripted  into  the  Eebel  service 
and  was  present  and  wounded  at  Shiloh.  He  continued 
in  the  Eebel  service,  in  one  of  the  administrative  depart- 
ments, until  the  Autumn  of  1863,  when  he  escaped,  and 
after  encountering  the  greatest  perils  and  sufferings, 
made  his  way  into  the  Loyal  lines  of  Burnside. 

"We  spent  days  together,  it  might  be  said  weeks, 
comparing  notes  and  authorities,  and  examining  maps. 
The  conclusion  arrived  at  was  this,  that  there  were  only 
two  battles  at  the  East  which  could  be  considered,  in 
reality,  as  territorially  decisive,  Antietam  and  Gettys- 
burg, although  it  cannot  properly  be  said  that  the  former 
was  so,  inasmuch  as  it  required  the  second  to  settle  the 
fate  of  the  same  district  of  country.  At  the  West, 
however,  he  thought  there  were  six  territorially  decisive 


DECISIVE  WARS  AND  BATTLES  73 

battles.  The  same  remark  might  be  said  to  apply  to 
three  of  these,  as  to  Antietam,  were  it  not  that  the  extent 
of  territory  was  so  vast  that  each  of  these  battles  settled 
the  question  as  to  a  district  almost  sufficient  for  a 
European  principality  or  second-rate  kingdom. 

"The  six  selected  are  as  follows: 

"First,  Fort  Donelson,  Second  Class.  The  capture  of 
this  Fort,  February  16,  1862,  was  decisive,  because  it 
flanked  Columbus,  General  and  Bishop  Polk's  great 
coigne  of  vantage,  evacuated  March  4th;  and  Bowling 
Green,  Albert  Sidney  Jolmston's  stronghold,  abandoned 
February  14,  1862,  and  carried  the  Union  lines  down  to 
the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Eailroads. 

"Second,  Shiloh,  First  Class.  It  flanked  Memphis, 
broke  the  connection  between  the  Mississippi  river  and 
the  Atlantic,  and  opened  a  way  into  the  lower  Mississippi 
Valley,  through  the  middle  counties  of  the  State  of 
Mississippi.  In  my  calculation  of  cause  and  result,  I 
rejected  the  capture  of  Fort  Donelson  from  my  list  of 
conflicts,  even  as  territorially  decisive,  since  events 
required  that  Shiloh  should  be  fought  to  secure  or  hold 
even  what  Fort  Donelson,  as  an  initiative,  temporarily 
acquired.  All  that  Shiloh  actually  insured,  the  Eebels 
never  more  regained. 

"Third,  Munfordsville,  Second  Class.  This  conflict 
settled  the  fate  of  Bragg's  Kentucky  campaign  adversely 
to  that  general — seeking,  from  an  entirely  new  starting 
point,  to  reconquer  all  that  Shiloh  had  lost  for  his  party. 

"The  Autumn  of  1862  was  a  momentous  epoch  in  the 
West-ISTorth.  The  rebel  invasion  of  the  East-ISTorth  had 
failed,  contemporaneously  with  its  failure  at  the  West. 
About  the  same  time  that  Lee  started  from  Eichmond 
northward,  Bragg,  with  even  better  auspices,  pushed 
forward  in  the  same  direction.  Bragg  had  two  objec- 
tives :  one  political,  the  other  military.  The  former  was 
entirely  subordinate  to,  and  dependent  upon,  the  success 
of  the  latter.  He  resembled  the  dog  with  the  meat,  in 
the  fable,  who,  crossing  the  stream  by  a  bridge,  saw  the 
reflection  of  the  meat  in  the  water  below,  whereupon,  to 


74.  JOHIT  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

grasp  the  ideal,  he  dropped  the  real.  The  shadow  or 
reflection  was  the  political  reorganization  of  Kentucky; 
the  meat  was  its  reconquest. 

''When  he  realized  the  true  facts,  the  chances  of 
victory  (like  the  dog's  meat)  had  slipped  from  his  jaws 
and  were  gone  forever.  The  moment  when  this  occurred 
was  the  engagement  at  Munfordsville,  September  13th- 
17th,  1862.  I  put  this  down  as  the  fifth  second-class 
action.  The  admirable  defence  of  New  York's  son  (from 
Ulster  County),  Colonel  J.  T.  Wilder,  commanding 
Seventeenth  Indiana,  gave  Buell  time  to  march  to  the 
menaced  point.  With  the  concentration  of  the  Union 
forces,  Bragg  saw  the  game,  both  political  and  military, 
was  up.  Loaded  with  the  booty  of  a  campaign  which 
promised  to  be  decisive,  but  had  degenerated  into  a  vast 
raid,  he  commenced  his  retreat. 

"This  engagement,  Munfordsville,  insignificant  as  to 
the  number  on  the  loyal  side,  was  vastly  significant.  It 
showed  in  the  clearest  light  Bragg's  incapacity,  as  well 
as  a  General,  as  an  administrator  and  as  a  politician,  and 
through  this,  again,  the  inferior  Judgment  power  of 
Jefferson  Davis  himself  in  the  selection  of  executive  sub- 
ordinates. Only  a  minority  at  the  North,  the  reading 
and  reasoning  few,  know  how  much  the  Union  success 
is  due  to  the  arch-rebel's  sacrificing  merit  to  favoritism, 
the  material  to  the  ideal.  It  was  enough  to  make  a 
reflecting  man  shudder  to  imagine  the  consequences 
which  would  have  resulted  from  the  substitution  of  Joe 
Johnston  for  Bragg. 

"The  battle  of  Perryville,  or  Chaplin  Hills,  fought 
8th  October,  1862,  to  save  his  plunder,  is  not  dissimilar 
in  many  of  its  features  to  that  of  Gettysburg.  In  both 
eases,  Lee  and  Bragg  lost  their  laurels  and  prestige,  but 
saved  their  trains.  In  both  cases,  Buell  and  Meade  did 
not  fight  all  or  fight  well  their  troops,  were  slack  in  their 
pursuit,  and  allowed  the  rebel  armies  to  escape  to 
organize,  recuperate,  and  fight  again. 

"Fourth,  Stone  Eiver,  First  Class,  settled  the  destina- 
tion of  Middle  Kentucky  and  Middle  Tennessee,  and 


DECISIVE  WAES  AND  BATTLES  75 

threw  the  Rebels  east  and  south  of  the  Appalachian 
Mountains.  If  any  General  ever  deserved  the  thanks  of 
a  nation  for  a  decisive  success,  in  one  of  the  darkest 
hours  of  its  gloom,  the  North  owes  such  gratitude  to 
Eosecrans. 

"Corinth,  another  previous  victory  of  Eosecrans, 
October  3d  and  4th,  1863,  would  have  been  equally 
propitious  had  the  victor  been  permitted  to  press  the 
pursuit,  as  he  desired,  had  he  received  the  reenforcements 
earnestly  requested,  had  he  been  permitted  to  move  on 
and  occupy  Vicksburg,  as  he  pointedly  suggested.  Had 
he  been  permitted  to  act,  or  had  he  been  listened  to,  a 
paroled  army  would  not  have  been  likely  to  meet  us  on 
the  'river  of  death,'  in  the  November  of  the  following 
year.     At  all  events,  so  the  writer  has  been  informed. 

"Fifth,  Chattanooga.  Under  this  generic  title  must 
be  included  Chattanooga  first,  or  Chickamauga,  due  to 
Eosecrans;  Lookout  Mountain,  attributable  to  the  strate- 
gical prescience  of  Eosecrans  and  the  execution  of 
Hooker,  and  Chattanooga,  second  or  proper,  due  to  the 
assembled  Generals  and  reenforced  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. This  series  of  engagements  insured  the  posses- 
sion of  the  key-point  of  the  Middle  West  and  South 
generally,  the  entrance-gate  to  Northern  Georgia,  and 
burst  open  the  passes  whose  acquisition  led  to  the  con- 
quest of  the  Cotton  States. 

"Chickamauga  was  indubitably  a  material  victory.  If 
Eosecrans  fell  short  of  perfect  success  it  was  not  his 
fault,  but  the  fault  of  the  Washington  war  authorities. 
The  Atlanta  campaign  was  only  the  topping-out  and 
roofing-in  of  the  edifice  whose  walls  were  carried  up  from 
Nashville  to  Chattanooga,  first.  Not  that  this  detracts 
a  jot  from  Sherman;  far  otherwise.  Eosecrans  and 
Sherman  are  the  Generals  to  whom  the  North  can  point 
with  pride  as  their  chief  jewels,  as  their  practical,  tacti- 
cal, all-combining,  strategical,  administrative  captains. 
Thomas  and  Hooker  flank  them  as  the  great  executive 
officers. 

"Eosecrans'  campaign  of  1863  and  1863,  from  Nash- 


76  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

ville  to  Chattanooga,  was  another  decisive  campaign  of 
the  war.  Had  Rosecrans  been  less  able  and  less  fortu- 
nate, Bragg  would  have  been  able  to  reenforce  Joe 
Johnston  and  Vicksburg  would  not  have  fallen  as  it  did. 
Vicksburg  was  not  taken  by  the  investment,  but  by  the 
preliminary  campaign.  The  result  of  that  campaign  was 
partly  due  to  the  paucity  of  the  rebel  army  seeking  to 
relieve  Pemberton.  That  paucity  of  numbers  was  owing 
to  the  tight,  unrelaxing  hold  Rosecrans  kept  on  Bragg, 
a  hold  which,  never  relaxing,  tightened  and  tightened 
more  and  more,  until  it  cost  the  rebels  Chattanooga, 
that  key-point  to  which  the  views,  the  hopes,  and  the 
calculations  of  every  able  man  and  true  patriot  at  the 
North  had  been  directed  from  the  very  first  opening  of 
the  war. 

"Throughout  this  war  there  was  scarcely  any  practical- 
strategy,  on  our  side  (except  where  Rosecrans  com- 
manded), until  after  Rosecrans  had  set  the  grand  example 
in  1862-63 ;  very  little  manoeuvring  on  the  battlefield, 
and,  with  only  two  or  three  exceptions,  no  harvesting  of 
the  seed  sown  in  the  blood  of  our  soldiers,  which  was 
squandered  with  a  ruthless  prodigality  that  shocks  the 
understanding.  It  is  impossible  to  comprehend  how 
such  an  intelligent  rank  and  file  could  have  submitted 
patiently  to  seeing  their  lives  squandered  as  they  were. 

"Sixth,  Nashville,  First  Class.  Thomas's  victory  over 
Hood  settled  the  whole  question,  in  the  vast  territory 
between  the  Alleghanies  and  the  Mississippi,  and  stands 
forth  as  the  most  immediately  decisive  battle  of  the  war. 
No  general  can  tear  this  crown  from  the  brows  of 
Thomas,  or  pluck  one  rose  from  the  chaplet  of  his  glory. 

"Nashville,  the  final  battle  of  the  war  (territorially 
decisive),  was  the  Seven  Years'  War  Freyberg  of  our 
four  years'  conflict,  final  as  to  effect,  though  there  was 
plenty  of  sparring  and  manoeuvring  simultaneous  and 
subsequent.  It  was  one  of  those  blows  to  rebellion  that 
resemble  the  corresponding  stroke  in  a  fist  fight,  which 
knocks  all  the  grit  and  wind  out  of  a  bruiser,  while  it 
leaves  him  just  pluck  enough  to  show  fight,  with  closed 


DECISIVE  WAES  AND  BATTLES  77 

optics  and  abnost  arrested  pulse,  so  as  to  get  a  few  more 
rounds  into  a  sporting  account  of  'the  mill.' 

"Nashville  settled  the  question  everywhere,  except  as 
to  Richmond,  and  as  regarded  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia.  Time,  circumstances,  constriction  and  concen- 
tration disposed  of  that.  Sherman  understood  that  fact, 
when  he  gave  his  regiments  the  option  of  inscribing 
Nashville  or  Savannah,  at  will,  upon  their  victorious 
banners. 

"Thomas,  victor  of  the  great  battle  at  Nashville,  is 
a  solid  character,  grand  in  its  solidity.  He  reminds  a 
military  reader  of  the  spotless  Macdonald,  not  brilliant 
but  always  reliable/' 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

SHILOH 

In  the  beginning  of  the  war  the  Confederacy  placed 
in  command  of  the  West  its  most  promising  general, 
Albert  Sidney  Johnston.  Forestalled  by  Grant  in  seizing 
Cairo,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River,  and  Paducah, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Tennessee,  Johnston  established  his 
line  of  defence  across  the  State  of  Kentucky.  His 
headquarters  were  at  Bowling  Green,  in  advance  of 
Nashville,  his  main  position. 

A  force  under  Crittenden,  near  Mill  Springs,  occupied 
Central  Kentucky,  while  Zollicoffer,  before  Cumberland 
Gap,  constituted  Johnston's  extreme  right.  The  region 
he  sought  to  defend  was  penetrated  by  the  Cumberland, 
Tennessee,  and  Mississippi  rivers,  natural  highways  for 
the  Union  troops.  To  command  these  rivers,  Johnston 
erected  Fort  Donelson  on  the  Cumberland,  Fort  Henry 
on  the  Tennessee,  and  on  the  Mississippi  fortified 
Columbus,  Island  Number  Ten  and  New  Madrid. 

Zollicoffer  united  with  Crittenden  at  Mill  Springs, 
early  in  January,  1861,  and  on  the  19th  of  that  month 
General  George  H.  Thomas  struck  and  completely  routed 
their  combined  forces.  Zollicoffer  was  killed.  Critten- 
den, abandoning  his  trains  and  artillery,  hurried  across 
the  Cumberland. 

This  blow  by  Thomas,  which  flung  Johnstons'  right 
wing  out  of  Central  Kentucky,  was  promptly  followed 
by  Grant's  advance  on  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson. 
Fort  Henry  surrendered  6  February,  and  Fort  Donelson 
ten  days  later.  The  Confederate  line,  with  its  right 
hurled  back  by  Thomas,  and  its  centre  crushed  in  by 
Grant,  became  untenable.  Johnston  fell  back  from 
Bowling  Green,  abandoned  Nashville  to  the  Union 
General,  Buell,  and  evacuated  Columbus  on  the  Missis- 

78 


SHILOH  7a 

sippi.  A  little  later,  14  March,  New  Madrid  and  Island 
Number  Ten  surrendered  to  General  Pope. 

The  new  line  of  defence  established  by  Johnston 
stretched  east  and  west,  along  the  southern  boundary 
line  of  Tennessee,  from  Chattanooga  on  the  right,  to 
Memphis  and  Fort  Pillow  on  the  left.  Corinth,  in 
Northern  Mississippi,  formed  its  centre.  These  points 
were  all  on  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Kailroad,  a 
great  trunk  line  tlirough  Atlanta  and  the  heart  of  the 
Confederacy,  possession  of  which  was  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  Johnston. 

Intending  to  crush  Jolmston's  new  line.  Grant  trans- 
ported his  troops  up  the  Tennessee  to  Pittsburgh  Landing, 
Buell's  army  of  thirty-seven  thousand  men  meanwhile 
marching  from  Nashville  to  join  him.  Johnston,  forty 
thousand  strong,  hurried  north  from  Corinth  to  strike 
Grant  before  Buell's  arrival. 

Grant  had  an  effective  force  of  forty-five  thousand 
men.  Johnston's  attack,  6  April,  caught  the  Union 
generals  napping.  Grant  himself  was  absent,  while 
General  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  with  nearly  eight  thousand 
troops,  was  at  Crump's  Landing,  far  in  the  rear. 
Johnston  hurled  himself  against  the  corps  of  Sherman 
and  Prentiss,  the  former  lying  west,  and  the  latter  east,  of 
Shiloh  Church.  Behind  Sherman  lay  McClernand's  corps. 

The  troops  of  Sherman  and  Prentiss  recoiled  from 
Johnston's  sudden  and  violent  blow.  Sherman  was 
pushed  back  against  McClernand,  whose  support  enabled 
him  to  continue  the  fight,  although  obliged  to  relinquish 
Shiloh  Church.  Prentiss,  however,  was  captured,  and 
his  corps  crushed  and  disorganized.  At  this  crisis 
Johnston  was  killed,  and  the  folly  of  Beauregard,  in 
postponing  until  the  next  day  the  completion  of  his  task, 
permitted  the  reformation  of  Grant's  battered  corps,  and 
their  reenforcement  by  the  opportune  arrival  of  Buell. 

General  de  Peyster  was  one  of  the  first  to  present 
the  battle  of  Shiloh  in  its  true  light.  The  comments 
which  follow  have  been  extracted  from  his  "Decisive 
Conflicts,"  published  soon  after  the  war. 


80  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"Pour  battles  in  this  war  lifted  a  heavy  weight  from 
the  heart  of  the  writer,  who  had  watched  its  progress 
with  a  critical,  map-studying  care,  which  has  left  the 
vividest  impressions.  The  first  was  Shiloh,  the  second 
was  Antietam,  the  third  was  Stone  River,  and  the  fourth 
was  Gettysburg,  or  the  campaign  of  Gettysburg;  for,  in 
the  writer's  opinion,  the  battle  in  Pennsylvania  was  the 
culmination  of  the  bloody  fight  of  Chancellorsville,  the 
Shiloh  of  the  East,  inasmuch  as  Stonewall  Jackson,  the 
right  arm  of  armed  rebellion,  fell  here,  even  as  A.  Sydney 
Jolinston,  its  head,  fell  there.  Such  matters  must  be 
treated  philosophically,  as  well  as  militarily,  in  history. 

"Besides  these  two  great  leaders,  these  two  battles 
consumed  the  flower  of  Southern  fighting  material.  A. 
Sydney  Johnston  resembled  Sherman  and  Rosecrans  in 
the  texture  of  his  thought.  He  was  peculiarly  a  strate- 
gist. Jackson  was  a  thunderbolt,  the  best  executive 
lieutenant  of  rebeldom,  a  genius,  full  of  the  breath  of 
martial  inspiration. 

"If  any  battle  of  the  rebellion  comes  up  to  the  estimate 
of  Creasy  as  to  decisiveness,  that  battle  was  Shiloh.  In 
many  respects,  it  was  the  battle  of  the  war.  It  disposed 
of  the  rebels'  best  general,  dissipated  their  highest  hopes, 
reversed  all  their  life-long  learned  theories.  By  their 
camp-fires,  the  rebel  soldiers  discussed,  in  after  days, 
that  conflict — drew  conclusions  which  obliterated  all 
their  former  traditional  beliefs  and  ideas.  With  bitter 
oaths,  an  ear-witness  reports,  they  were  wont  to  exclaim : 
'Don't  tell  us  the  Yanks  won't  fight;  we  know  how  they 
fought  at  Shiloh !'  The  South  did  not  believe  that  the 
war  really  meant  killing  until  after  Donelson  and  Pitts- 
Imrgh  Landing. 

"April,  1862,  was  an  awful  month  for  the  rebellion. 
Shiloh,  April  7,  1862,  decided  the  great  question  of  the 
power  of  the  Union  to  force  the  approaches  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley  from  the  north;  that  it  could  not  be 
defended  even  by  a  great  battle.  In  the  fall  of  1861  and 
winter  of  1861-62,  the  writer  was  engaged  in  a  lively 
correspondence  with  Ma j .-Gen.  Kearny  (his  cousin)  in 


SHILOH  81 

regard  to  military  key-points.  In  a  letter  dated  February 
11,  1862,  he  wrote :  'As  to  moral  effect,  Richmond  is  the 
objective  point,  but  intrinsically  New  Orleans.  The 
capture  of  Eichmond  is  an  ideal  necessity,  for  mental 
effect,  at  home  and  abroad.' 

"He  then  alluded  to  the  enormous  influence  once 
inuring  to  the  Dutch  from  their  possession  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Scheldt.  Antwerp  was  ruined,  the  commerce  of 
Germany  check-mated,  and  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam 
became  the  entrepots  of  Europe.  Since  Belgium  regained 
free  access  to  the  sea,  she  has  been  gradually  recovering 
her  commercial  prosperity.  The  Dutch  ports  are  waning, 
and  Antwerp  is  destined,  perhaps,  to  absorb  that  vast 
commerce  which  once  made  Holland  pre-eminent.  The 
false  estimate  put  upon  New  Orleans  and  Eichmond 
shows  how  often  the  most  astute  politicians  sacrifice  the 
material  to  the  ideal,  and  the  people  acquiesce  in  the 
delusion. 

"April  24th  and  36th,  Farragut,  'the  peerless,' 
captured  New  Orleans,  bursting  the  vaunted  barriers  of 
the  Mississippi  from  the  south.  From  this  time,  Febru- 
ary-May, 1862,  dates  the  powerful  influence,  moral  and 
material,  of  our  Navy. 

"Even  as  the  strength  of  Sampson  lay  in  the  least 
likely  portion  of  him,  and  the  last  to  which  men  would 
have  looked  for  the  source,  even  so  it  seems  to  have  been 
with  regard  to  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  the  rebel 
comprehension  of  its  importance.  And  even  as  Sampson 
lost  his  strength  when  shorn  of  his  locks,  even  so  rebeldom 
was  deprived  of  its  main  resources  when  the  Union  flag 
floated  victoriously  over  the  Father  of  Waters,  and 
flowed  'unvexed'  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf.  If  the  rebels 
had  fought  for  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi  as  they 
fought  for  the  possession  of  Virginia,  heaven  knows  what 
would  have  been  the  result.  Many  of  the  rebels  did  see 
this :  Davis  could  not  see  it ;  ergo,  Davis  was  a  square 
peg  in  a  round  hole. 

"An  officer  who  served  in  the  West  dropped  in  the 
other  day  and  gave  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 


82  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

which,  if  correct,  shows  that,  as  generally  received  as 
true,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was,  by  odds,  the  greatest 
general  the  Eebels  had.  His  plan  for  the  battle  and  his 
manoeuvring  during  the  battle  were  faultless,  and  if  he 
had  lived  to  carry  them  out  his  certainty  of  success  was 
assured. 

"The  position  of  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburgh  Landing,  was 
very  important,  inasmuch  as  it  flanked  Memphis  and 
broke  the  connection  of  Memphis  with  the  East.  The 
result  opened  a  way  into  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley, 
via  the  middle  counties  of  Mississippi. 

"A.  Sidney  Johnston,  the  greatest  general  whom  the 
South  possessed  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  appreciated 
the  importance  of  the  battle  he  was  about  to  deliver. 
Thither  he  drew  together  all  the  rebel  divisions  he  could 
concentrate,  to  fall,  in  mass,  upon  Grant,  exposed  and 
ill-posted,  for  a  decisive  effort. 

"Up  to  the  moment  of  his  fatal  wounding,  he  was 
victorious.  'A  few' — less  than  an  hour,  it  was  said — 
'minutes  more  of  such  energetic  fight  as  he  inaugurated,' 
and  the  chances  are  that  history  would  have  had  a  far 
different  tale  to  tell,  and  that  he  would  have  compelled 
Grant  to  surrender,  or  have  driven  him  into  the 
Tennessee.  His  successor,  Beauregard — constitutionally 
weak,  a  mathematician  born,  great  in  theory  and  on 
paper,  able  to  plan  and  feeble  to  execute — allowed  the 
golden  opportunity  to  slip  through  his  fingers. 

"He  allowed  the  attack  to  slacken — a  surging  attack, 
whose  fury  was  already  checked  by  Webster's  crescent  of 
artillery — and  night  closed  a  contest  which  Buell's 
arrived  converted,  next  day,  from  a  rebel  victory  into  a 
decisive  rebel  defeat. 

"A.  Sidney  Jolmston's  plan  of  attack  was,  in  reality, 
the  oblique  order  of  battle — that  is,  in  principle.  He 
saw  that  the  weak  point  of  the  Union  line  was  Prentiss's 
left.  He  knew  the  ground  well,  yes,  perfectly  well,  and 
intended  to  amuse  and  engage  the  loyal  right  and  centre, 
throw  the  weight  of  his  force  on  Prentiss's  left,  get  in 
its  rear,  and  continually   throw   off  rear  and  flanking 


SHILOH  83 

attacks,  even  as  Prentiss  fell  back  up  the  ravines,  which 
shot  out  like  spurs  from  mountain  ranges,  penetrating 
the  Union  position.  The  configuration  of  the  ground  or 
ravine,  through  which  Lick  Creek  empties  itself,  cannot 
be  better  represented  than  by  a  section  of  a  'silver'  or 
what  they  call  'a.  ladder  pine,'  the  main  ravine  repre- 
senting the  trunk,  the  spur-ravines  the  branches. 

"As  this  oblique,  and  then  flanking,  attack  progressed, 
A.  Sidney  Johnston  intended  to  strip  his  left  and  centre, 
passing  reenforcements  behind  the  mask  of  battle  or 
blind  of  fire,  to  his  right,  leaving  only  sufficient  forces 
there  to  occupy  McClernand's  and  Sherman's  attention — 
to  feed,  strengthen,  and  support  the  main  attack  until  he 
had  massed  his  troops,  on  the  left,  far  in  the  rear  of  the 
loyal  line  of  battle;  whence,  advancing  up  along  the 
river,  he  would  cut  them  off  completely  from  it,  and 
'bag  the  whole  crowd,' 

"Such  a  conception,  carried  out,  as  it  was,  as  long  as 
A.  Sidney  Johnston  lived,  was  worthy  of  the  real  father 
of  modern  oblique  attacks,  Frederic  of  Prussia.  It  was 
in  the  full  tide  of  success  when  a  bullet  (according  to 
one  account,  according  to  another,  a  piece  of  a  shell)  put 
an  end  to  the  greatest  military  brain  and  life  of 
Eebeldom. 

"Two  hours'  irresolution  on  the  part  of  Beauregard 
saved  Grant,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  Johnston,  dying, 
sent  Preston,  his  brother-in-law  and  confidential  aide,  to 
Beauregard  to  communicate  to  him  his  plans,  his  com- 
plete success  on  the  Rebel  right,  the  utter  disorganization 
of  the  loyal  left,  and  his  exhortation  to  feed  the  attack, 
to  give  the  Federals  no  respite,  and  to  assure  him,  that, 
if  he  did  so,  the  most  decisive  victory  was  certain. 
'Forward !'  was  the  whole  gist  of  Johnston's  dying  words. 
'Tomorrow  [alas,  those  confident  tomorrows!]  we  will 
complete  our  triumph,'  was  the  sense  of  Beauregard's 
answer,  as  far  as  men  can  judge  from  reports  and  results. 

"He  wasted  hours,  when  minutes  were  of  importance. 
From  two  to  four  hours  were  thus  and  there  utterly 
lost.     He  permitted  the  daylight  to  glide  away  unim- 


84  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

proved.  This  delay  enabled  Grant,  about  four  P.  M., 
to  form  his  last  line,  compact  and  well  posted,  and 
Webster  to  dispose  of  his  cannon  on  a  ridge  near  the 
river.  This  line,  and  the  fire  of  their  heavy  guns, 
arrested  Beauregard's  resumed  attack.  Night  brought 
safety  and  Buell. 

"Night  closed  in;  the  Union  army  was  saved;  the 
Border  States  were  secure;  Buell  had  arrived,  and  the 
first  first-class  decisive  battle  of  the  war  had  been  fought ; 
a  battle,  which,  if  it  had  gone  otherwise,  would  most 
likely  have  changed  the  destiny  of  our  nation. 

"God  had  been  with  us  and  had  fought  for  us.  The 
mortal  light  of  the  great  strategical  brain  of  the  Rebellion 
was  extinguished;  no  other  did  or  could  take  its  place; 
and  although  ordinary  minds  may  be  incapable  of 
estimating  the  efi:ect  of  our  success  in  this  battle,  it  was 
the  battle,  and  the  decisive  battle,  at  the  West." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

SOUTH  MOUNTAIN  AND  ANTIETAM 

Gloom  and  despondency  had  seized  the  North. 
McClellan's  Peninsular  Campaign,  after  long  and  labo- 
rious preparation  and  a  mighty  blare  of  trumpets,  in  June 
and  July,  1861,  had  utterly  collapsed.  Its  unpalatable 
fruits  were  Fair  Oaks,  the  Seven  Days'  Fight,  and  the 
sullen  retreat  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  having  sacri- 
ficed sixteen  thousand  soldiers.  Immediately  following,  in 
August,  Pope's  new  Army  of  Virginia  had  also  been 
outgeneralled,  pounded,  and  thro^vn  back,  from  Cedar 
Mountain  to  Chantilly,  with  the  loss  of  "fighting  Phil" 
Kearny  and  fourteen  thousand  men. 

Upon  the  heels  of  these  disasters,  the  end  of  August 
and  early  days  of  September  bring  startling  tidings  that 
Buell  and  Kirby  Smith  have  burst  into  Tennessee  and 
Kentucky,  the  former  rushing  upon  Louisville,  and  the 
latter  upon  Cincinnati.  At  this  moment  of  anguish  and 
suspense,  Lee  fills  up  the  cup.  Throwing  his  victorious 
host  across  the  Potomac,  he  invades  Maryland.  The 
North  stands  aghast. 

Such  are  the  black  clouds  through  which  the  battles  of 
South  Mountain,  14  September,  and  of  Antietam,  16  and 
17  September,  are  to  make  a  rift,  letting  in  a  beam  of 
light  and  hope. 

McClellan,  at  Frederick,  Maryland,  with  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  on  12  December  obtains  a  copy  of  Lee's 
order  of  march.  It  reveals  the  disposition  of  Lee's  army 
— divided,  with  Jackson  at  Harper's  Ferry  across  the 
Potomac.  By  promptly  pushing  through  the  unoccupied 
passes  of  South  Mountain,  we  can  fall  in  force  upon 
Longstreet.  McClellan  dallies.  When  he  starts,  forty- 
eight  hours  later,  the  enemy  holds  the  passes.  HiU  is 
in  Turner's  Gap,  Cobb  is  in  Crampton's.     In  the  fight 

85 


86  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

which  follows,  Hooker  and  Eeno  dispossess  Hill,  and 
Franklin  does  as  much  with  Cobb.  We  lose  eighteen 
hundred  men,  but  capture  twelve  hundred  prisoners. 

This,  in  brief,  is  the  battle  of  South  Mountain.  The 
following  comment  by  General  de  Peyster  has  been 
extracted  from  his  "Decisive  Conflicts." 

"The  three  simultaneous  and  victorious  engagements 
known  as  the  battle  of  South  Mountain  (Sunday,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1863,)  the  forcing  of  Turner's  Gap,  to  the 
right  or  north,  by  Hooker;  of  Fox  Gap,  in  the  centre, 
by  Reno,  and  of  Crampton's  Gap,  to  the  left  or  south,  by 
Franklin,  is  one  of  the  brightest  pages  in  the  checkered 
history  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

"If  General  Burnside  was  in  command  at  South 
Mountain  proper,  i.e.,  Turner's  Gap,  and  fought  the 
battle,  as  his  biographer  claims,  that  is,  directed  the 
grand-tactical  movements,  he  deserves  great  praise.  The 
strategy  prior  to  it  belongs  to  McClellan,  but,  as  has 
been  truly  observed,  even  as  Lee's  successes  over  Pope 
were  due  to  the  capture  of  the  latter's  despatch-book 
(August  22d),  at  Catlett's  Station,  by  Stuart,  even  so — 
by  a  parity  of  judgment — the  favorable  issue  of  McClel- 
lan's  operations  against  Lee  must  be  ascribed  to  the 
accidental  discovery  of  Lee's  order  in  Frederick  City, 
September  12th, 

"In  fact,  McClellan  could  not  have  acted  otherwise 
than  he  did,  unless  he  was  entirely  destitute  of  military 
ability.  Nevertheless,  while  the  discovery  of  this  order 
in  Hill's  deserted  camp — occupied  in  turn  by  Williams' 
corps  (the  12th) — enabled  him  to  frustrate  the  Rebel 
invasion  of  that  year,  this  accident,  in  any  other  hands 
but  those  of  such  an  'Athelstan,  the  Unready,'  would 
have  enabled  him,  without  the  slaughter  of  South 
Mountain,  to  sever  the  Rebel  army  in  twain,  and  either 
crush,  or  disperse,  or  capture  the  greater  part  of  either 
fragment,  or  both. 

"South  Mountain  is  highly  creditable  to  all  who  par- 
ticipated in  it  except  the  commander-in-chief,  since  he 
failed  to  profit  by  its  success.     Had  he  been  the  superior 


SOUTH  MOUNTAIN  AND  ANTIETAM       87 

man,  which  his  friends  claimed  that  he  was,  this  battle 
need  not  have  been  fought  at  all.  Had  he  pressed  on 
from  Frederick,  with  only  second-rate  generalship 
celerity,  he  could  have  mastered,  and  marched  through 
the  gaps  before  the  Rebels  occupied  the  crests  of  the 
mountain  in  force.  In  this  case  he  could  have  gained, 
by  celerity,  all  that  he  was  afterward  compelled  to  win 
by  hard  fighting. 

"Having  fought  and  won,  he  should  have  profited  by 
his  success,  and  have  attacked  Lee,  following  close  upon 
the  heels  of  the  Rebels  defeated  at  South  Mountain,  and 
before  Lee  could  be  reenforced  by  the  troops  which 
captured  Harper's  Ferry.  This  would  have  deprived 
Lee  of  the  services  of  Jackson,  in  himself  a  host,  equiva- 
lent to  a  division  of  ten  thousand  men,  and  of  those  of 
Hill,  equivalent  to  a  brigade. 

"Through  mismanagement,  or  through  whatever  cause 
to  which  it  may  be  attributed,  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  had  driven  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  or  at  all 
events,  had  fought  sufficiently  well  to  find  itself,  back 
beyond  the  point  from  which  it  had  started,  upward  of 
a  year  previous;  and  now  to  see  that  same  Union  army, 
so  maltreated,  so  mishandled,  so  misjudged,  climbing  those 
rugged  heights  and  advancing  to  the  attack  as  calmly  as  if 
they  had  never  met  with  a  check  or  experienced  a  disaster, 
was  something  perfectly  sublime.  If  no  further  than 
this,  South  j\Iountain  was  decisive  in  first  showing  to 
their  countrymen  and  to  the  world  of  what  glorious  stuff 
the  rank  and  file  of  the  ^Armv  of  the  Potomac'  was 
composed. 

"The  summary  of  the  whole  matter  seems  to  be  that 
the  Union  success  was  won  in  a  fair  stand-up  fight, 
if  such  an  expression  can  be  applied  to  an  attack  made 
upon  a  mountain  position,  and  principally  in  the  woods. 
The  grand-tactics  were  elegant,  but  there  were  no  strate- 
gical movements,  for  if  the  Re])els  did  not  hold 
Braddock's  Gap  in  force  (which,  after  consulting  every 
authority  available,  it  does  not  appear  that  they  did), 
Eosecrans    or    Sherman,    with    such    a    superiority    of 


88  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

numbers  as  McClellan  had  at  his  disposal,  would  have 
detached  a  strong  column  through  that  gap,  which  would 
have  turned  the  enemy  out  of  their  positions. 

"Had  such  a  movement  been  made,  while  the  Eebels 
were  strongly  assaulted  in  front,  and  their  attention  fully 
occupied,  it  must  have  resulted  in  the  capture  of  large 
numbers  of  prisoners,  and  the  greater  part,  if  not  the 
whole,  of  their  material.  Hooker  did,  in  a  measure, 
turn  Hill  or  Longstreet  by  occupying  or  winning  the 
crest  or  peak,  a  key-point,  to  the  north  and  right  of  the 
'Mountain  House,'  but  this  was  done,  not  by  strategy  or 
strategem,  but  in  open  view  and  under  fire  both  of 
artillery  and  infantr}\ 

"In  regard  to  strategic  movements,  there  never  was  a 
finer  chance  than  at  South  Mountain,  since,  as  the  stage 
of  battle  rose  gradually  from  the  Catoctin  Valle}'',  the 
Commanding  General,  west  of  Middletown,  could  make 
out  the  enemy's  position  by  their  line  of  fire,  particularly 
toward  evening,  when  the  setting  sun  left  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  mountain  in  shadow.  Nor  was  the  ascent  of 
the  mountain  so  difiicult  that  flanking  movements  could 
not  have  been  made  with  comparative  ease  and  certainty. 
This  could  have  been  done,  since  our  forces  were  to  those 
of  the  Eebels  as,  at  least,  four  to  one,  in  the  early 
afternoon — at  no  time  less  than  two  to  one;  and  as  the 
other  divisions  of  the  army  came  up,  successively,  toward 
sunset,  three  to  one. 

"On  the  night  of  the  14-15th  of  September,  1862, 
Burnside  was  the  master  of  Turner's  and  Fox  Gaps,  and, 
with  morning,  could  descend  into  Boonsboro  Valley  and 
follow  up  Lee.  Notwithstanding  our  losses,  he  had  still 
28,000  men  with  him  to  press  the  defeated  enemy,  and 
could  be  rapidly  supported  by  as  many  more,  if  the 
General-in-chief  so  willed.  At  this  time  Lee  had  not 
over  25,000  to  27,000  in  fine  fighting  condition:  otherwise 
they  were  in  a  sorry  plight.  As  some  evidence  of  the 
latter's  weakness,  even  when  he  reached  the  Antietam, 
on  the  16th,  he  was  forced  to  retire  or  was  'driven  back 
go  soon  as  our  men  get  into  position.' 


SOUTH  MOUNTAIN  AND  ANTIETAM       89 

"To  those  who  have  read  military  history  with  atten- 
tion, comparing  dates  and  maps,  such  hesitation  seems 
inexpli3able,  when  contrasted  with  the  energy  and  expe- 
ditiousness  of  generals  such  as  Jackson,  Longstreet,  and 
Hill,  whose  conduct  invested  them  with  commands  in  the 
Southern  army  as  important  as  that  of  corps  command- 
ers in  the  Northern.  Then  when  the  student  visits  the 
theatre  of  action,  and  traverses  its  scenes,  the  contrast 
between  the  action  of  the  opposing  generals  seems  still 
more  strange  and  inerplicable.  Witness  the  marches  of 
Jackson,  Longstreet,  Hill,  and  others,  as  compared  with 
our  own,  in  this  campaign.  The  whole  success  of  this 
campaign  turned  upon  the  question,  simple  and  pure, 
of  time. 

"Had  the  Union  general  attacked  the  Rebels  on  the 
16th,  he  must  have  overwhelmed  him  with  numbers  and 
superiority  of  artillery.  Lee  did  not  make  the  most  of 
the  ground  on  the  17th,  but  nothing  could  exceed  the 
conduct  of  his  subordinate  generals  and  the  Eebel  troops. 
Less,  however,  cannot  be  said  of  the  Union  troops,  for 
they  did  better  than  well." 

The  battle  of  Antietam,  16  and  17  September,  follows 
close  upon  South  Mountain ;  but  not  so  close  as  it  should 
have  done.  McClellan's  delay  permits  Jackson  to 
capture  Harper's  Ferry,  taking  eleven  thousand  prisoners, 
and  with  part  of  his  corps  to  rejoin  Lee  on  the  sixteenth, 
the  rest  of  his  men  reaching  the  field  on  the  second  day 
of  battle. 

Lee  takes  a  strong  position  before  Sharpsburg,  his 
lines  lying  north  and  south,  between  the  Potomac,  at 
his  rear,  and  Antietam  Creek  at  bis  front.  Hooker, 
Mansfield  and  Sumner  form  the  Union  right,  Porter  the 
centre,  Burnside  the  left.  Against  Lee's  fifty-five 
thousand  men,  McClellan  has  eighty-seven  thousand; 
but,  unfortunately,  he  succeeds  in  bringing  only  about 
two-thirds  of  his  force  into  play,  and  fights  these  by 
successive  columns  instead  of  in  concert. 

Hooker,  beginning  the  battle  on  the  sixteenth,  pushes 
the  enemy  back.     On  the  second  day  Lee  presents  a  new 


90  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

line,  in  the  rear  of  his  former  position.  It  is  assaulted 
again  and  again  by  the  different  corps  of  the  Union 
right.  By  three  o'clock  both  sides  are  exhausted. 
Meanwhile,  on  the  left,  Burnside  has  done  nothing.  Not 
until  this  moment  is  his  corps  well  across  the  Antietam. 
It  is  too  late.  The  balance  of  Jackson's  men  are  there 
to  meet  him. 

In  the  two  days'  fight  we  lose  more  than  twelve 
thousand  men,  Lee  over  ten  thousand.  On  the  eighteenth 
the  Confederates  withdraw.  Scarcely  disturbed  by 
McClellan's  lame  apology  for  pursuit,  they  cross  the 
Potomac  in  safety.  Nevertheless,  Lee  has  been  repulsed ; 
his  "invasion"  is  a  thing  of  the  past;  though  it  has  cost 
both  sides  the  bloodiest  battle,  after  Shiloh,  the  war  has 
so  far  seen. 

For  the  critic  the  mooted  point  connected  with 
Antietam  is  Burnside's  failure  to  make  headway  against 
the  small  force  in  his  front.  Ordered  to  cross  the  Antie- 
tam at  seven  in  the  morning,  he  is  scarcely  in  his 
allotted  place  by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon.  General  de 
Peyster's  criticisms  are  taken  from  "Decisive  Conflicts." 

"Antietam  was  the  second  decisive  battle,  inasmuch 
as  it  arrested  the  rebel  invasion  of  the  East-North,  and 
threw  its  main  army,  discomfited,  back  across  the 
Potomac.  The  organizative,  not  the  strategic,  initiatory 
steps  to  this  battle  reflect  credit  on  McClellan;  the 
practical  strategic  prelude,  the  battle  itself,  and  its  conse- 
quences, none.  Even  as  coming  events  are  said  to  cast 
their  shadow  before,  McClellan's  conduct  before  York- 
town  and  Williamsburg  was  indicative  of  his  conduct  at 
Antietam.  He  could  set  the  ball  in  motion,  but  he 
seemed  incapable  of  regulating  its  course,  or  of  giving  it 
sufficient  momentum  to  do  more  than  strike  the  object. 
That  the  object  (Lee's  army)  went  down  was  due  to  the 
weight  of  the  ball — not  to  the  momentum  it  had  received. 

"McClellan  should  have  gained  one  of  the  most  deci- 
sive of  victories  at  the  Antietam;  and  he  must  have 
won  it  had  be  'put  in'  all  his  troops,  either  coherently, 
or  at  the  crisis,  or  later  in  the  day. 


SOUTH  MOUNTAIN  AND  ANTIETAM       91 

"In  considering  Biirnside's  action  in  this  battle,  the 
only  thing  which  can  be  urged  in  his  excuse  is  the 
natural  difficulties  of  the  ground,  which  his — the  Ninth 
— corps  had  to  overcome. 

"A  general-in-chief,  or  a  general  exercising  a  com- 
paratively independent  command,  cannot  plead  the  same 
excuses  as  a  mere  subordinate-executive.  The  latter  is 
face  to  face  with  dangers  which  the  other  surveys  from 
a  safe  and  often  distant  standpoint.  The  one  has  to 
meet  and  overcome  what  the  other  only  takes  into  his 
calculations  without  being  able,  tangibly,  to  appreciate 
the  difficulties  and  perils.  Thus,  the  often-mooted 
question  of  whether  Burnside  did  or  did  not  do  his  duty, 
is  a  very  delicate  one  for  even  the  best  read  and  most 
acute  thinker  on  military  subjects. 

"The  whole  would  seem  to  resolve  itself  into  whether 
the  Kebels  held  the  position  opposite  the  bridge.  No.  3, 
in  sufficient  force  to  avail  themselves  of  the  natural 
capabilities  of  the  ground.  That  ground,  as  described, 
is  very  defensible,  and  appears  worse  than  it  is  until  the 
surroundings  have  been  actually  reconnoitred,  even 
although  the  examiner  is  a  'civilian.'  In  many  respects 
it  might  be  termed — especially  the  road — a  regular  trap. 
It  was  not  defended  in  force,  however. 

"If  the  approach  to  the  bridge  on  the  right  bank — a 
natural  bridge — were  not  strongly  occupied,  then  Burn- 
side's  task  was  not,  by  any  means,  a  difficult  one.  Not 
to  have  discovered  this  by  an  attack,  or  by  feeling  it, 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  17th,  in  obedience  to  orders, 
throws  the  responsibility  upon  Burnside.  When  the 
bridge  and  opposite  heights  were  actually  carried,  then 
Burnside's  task,  properly  speaking,  was  over. 

"If  the  Ninth  Corps  had  won  the  heights  which  com- 
mand Sharpsburg,  as  they  could  have  done,  two  hours 
before  they  did  occupy  them,  and  made  use  of  their 
success,  the  battle  of  Antietam  must  have, been  a  disas- 
trous defeat  to  the  Eebels.  That  the  Ninth  Corps  lost 
very  heavily,  nearly  as  heavily  as  Hooker's,  has  little  to 
do  with  carrying  the  bridge,  since  it  would  appear  that 


92  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

the  great  loss  was  sustained  at  the  hands  of  Hill's 
division,  which  did  not  come  up  until  Burnside  had 
gained  a  position  which  12,500  to  13,500  men  certainly 
ought  to  have  held  against  4,000. 

"Eeflecting  upon  the  severe  Judgment  passed  by  many 
upon  Bumside's  hesitation,  and  to  give  him  all  due 
credit  of  overcare  for  his  men  at  Antietam,  the  question 
occurs,  did  not  the  blame  which  he  incurred  at  the 
Antietam  make  him  so  prodigal  of  life  at  Fredericksburg, 
first?  Yet  what  was  the  slaughter  of  Fredericksburg, 
after  all,  to  that  of  the  Wilderness,  for  which  Grant  is 
praised,  while  Burnside  is  severely  censured? 

"The  battle  of  Antietam  was  a  feat  of  arms  most 
creditable  to  the  Eebels,  and  glorious  both  to  their 
generals  and  troops;  and  just  as  honorable  to  our  own 
brave  men,  who  were  fought  in  driblets,  and  in  driblets 
wasted.  The  Eebel  divisions  were  grandly  handled  by 
their  commanders,  and  the  men  fought  accordingly.  The 
majority  of  our  troops  did  all  that  men  could  do  to 
crush  the  Eebel  army,  McClellan's  plan  was  good 
enough,  had  he  been  competent  to  regulate  the  force  at 
his  command,  and  make  his  subordinates  work  in,  and 
work  together,  to  carry  out  that  plan  with  some  coherence 
of  action. 

"Take  it  all  in  all,  remembering  the  dark  cloud  which 
hung  over  the  Korth  when  our  shattered  but  not  con- 
quered hosts  reeled,  fighting  even  to  the  last,  with  their 
faces  to  the  foe,  back  within  the  lines  about  Washington, 
South  Mountain  beamed  like  an  aurora  on  that  night  of 
bloody  travail  of  the  soul,  and  Antietam  burst  upon  thft 
tense  feelings  of  the  ISTorth  like  daylight  on  a  night  of 
tempest — a  glorious  victory  for  our  true  and  undaunted 
soldiers. 

"It  would  seem  as  if  Lee's  invasion  of  Maryland,  in 
1862,  was  defeated  in  a  far  greater  degree  by  the  moral 
aspect  of  the  population  than  by  his  actual  defeats  in 
the  field.  The  immobility  of  the  people,  their  non- 
responsiveness  to  Lee's  polished  appeal  and  the  frantic 
call  of  their  own  ultra  Eebels,  both  among  the  invaders 


SOUTH  MOUNTAIN  AND  ANTIETAM       93 

and  in  their  midst,  as  well  as  the  mute  canvass  of  the 
actual  presence  of  the  victorious  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,  must  have  chilled  the  most  ardent  hopes  of 
those  who  had  urged  the  invasion.  'My  Maryland'  did 
not  move,  or,  if  it  did  move,  the  mountain  of  Southern 
expectation,  in  labor,  produced  as  small  a  result  as  in  the 
fable. 

"This  meagre  return  for  so  much  toil,  suffering,  and 
blood;  so  many  battles,  marches,  and  privations,  froze 
the  hopes  of  the  South,  traversed  every  calculation,  and 
disconcerted  every  preconceived  idea.  The  aggressive 
movement  of  1862  was  too  late.  It  might  have  succeeded 
in  1861,  In  1862  it  was  the  attempt  of  a  hunter  to  tear 
his  prey  from  a  lion  which  had  been  irritated,  not 
maimed,  by  a  wound.  It  was  not  the  first  case  of  too 
tardy  cooperation  with  a  revolutionary  element. 

"So  it  was  in  1745-6,  when  the  Pretender  invaded 
England.  The  very  classes  to  whom  he  trusted  for  re- 
enforcements,  even  as  Lee  counted  upon  the  secessionists 
of  Maryland,  looked  on  silently,  but  gave  no  sign.  The 
English,  in  1745,  were  not  more  absolutely  loyal  to  the 
House  of  Hanover  than  the  majority  of  the  Marylanders 
to  the  Eepublican  administration.  Neither  were  the 
fonner  more  inclined  to  risk  anything  for  the  House  of 
Stuart  than  the  latter  for  the  Government  at  Eichmond. 
Both  jdelded  obedience  to  the  established  authority. 
Neither  would  budge  until  a  decisive  victory  had  made 
it  safe  and  profitable  to  join  the  winning  side  of  the 
invader. 

"The  English  did  not  recoil  with  more  antipathy  from 
those  ^wild,  petticoat  men,'  repulsive  in  their  partial 
nakedness  and  unkempt  savageness,  who  came  among 
them,  in  arms,  to  restore  the  good  old  times,  than  did 
the  people  of  Maryland  from  that  ragged,  barefooted  and 
dirty  army  of  liberation  which  came  to  reestablish  the 
time-honored  institution  of  slavery.  The  very  fire  of  the 
enthusiasm  of  both  was  terrible  to  settled  and  industrious 
communities." 

"In    both   cases,    the   reeking    uncleanliness    of    both 


94  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

invading  armies,  in  tatters,  made  them  repugnant  to  the 
populations  among  which  they  appeared,  and  awakened  a 
feeling  of  dislike,  and  even  horror.  If  dirt,  and  rags, 
and  bleeding  feet,  starvation,  wounds  and  death  were  the 
rewards  of  actual  fidelity,  and  empty  glory,  or  honor,  the 
sole  visible  return,  was  it  strange  that  the  English  of 
1745-6,  and  the  Marylanders  of  1862-3  reasoned  with 
Falstaff,  ^therefore.  Til  have  none  of  it'?" 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

FREDERICKSBURG 

After  Antietam,  for  several  weeks,  MeClellan  lies  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  while  Stuart's  cavalry,  clashing  into 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  passes  completely  around 
him.  MeClellan  crosses  the  Potomac,  26  October.  By 
6  ISTovember  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two  thousand  strong,  is  concentrated  at  Warren- 
ton,  Virginia.     Here  Burnside  supersedes  MeClellan. 

Burnside,  north  of  the  Eappahannock,  plans  a  demon- 
stration against  Lee  by  way  of  Fredericksburg,  south  of 
the  river.  He  reaches  Falmouth,  opposite  Fredericks- 
burg, 16  November.  The  stream  is  low.  Instead  of 
fording  it  and  instantly  seizing  Fredericksburg,  he  sits 
down  until  10  December,  idly  waiting  for  the  pontoons 
Halleck  has  promised. 

With  the  first  tidings  of  Burnside's  movement,  Lee 
hastens  to  Fredericksburg.  While  Burnside  dallies,  Lee 
fortifies  Marye's  Heights,  behind  Fredericksburg,  with 
three  lines  of  strong  works,  at  the  same  time  assembling 
seventy-four  thousand  men. 

Burnside's  army  has  three  grand  divisions,  under 
Sumner,  Hooker  and  Franklin.  Leaving  the  centre 
division — Hooker's — on  the  north  side,  the  right,  under 
Sumner,  and  the  left,  under  Franklin,  cross  the  river 
under  fire,  10  to  13  December.  The  action  opens,  13 
December,  with  a  hot  artillery  duel.  Then,  from 
Franklin's  division  on  our  left,  Reynold's  men,  led  by 
Meade,  splendidly  assault  Lee's  right.  Mad  as  is  the 
attempt,  we  actually  drive  back  Hill's  entrenched  line. 
Alas !  Franklin  fails  to  support  his  gallant  men,  and 
Early  rolls  them  back. 

Sumner's  division,  on  our  right,  finds  in  its  front,  in 
addition   to   Lee's  triple   works,   a   stone  wall   and  two 

95 


96  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

canals.  Undaunted,  again  and  again  our  men  rush 
forward.  French  is  stopped  by  the  stone  wall — then 
Hancock.  Hooker  crosses  the  Eappahannock,  and 
Humphreys  assaults  the  pitiless  barrier — once,  twice — 
his  heroes  shouting  and  singing.  Six  times  we  attempt 
the  impregnable  works;  six  times  we  brave  the  galling 
flame  from  Lee's  sheltered  guns  and  muskets.  Never, 
until  this  day,  has  the  world  seen  such  an  exploit.  To 
the  volunteer  armies  of  our  republic  it  was  left  to  furnish 
soldiers  cast  in  such  a  mould. 

With  ranks  thinned  by  the  loss  of  eleven  thousand 
men,  Burnside's  gallant  corps,  withdrawing  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, recross  the  Eappahannock.  By  all  canons, 
Lee  should  charge  them.  But,  no,  he  has  no  stomach 
for  it.  He  has  witnessed  an  incredible  thing,  and, 
stunned,  he  clings  to  his  defences. 

General  de  Peyster's  comments  upon  Fredericksburg, 
which  follow,  are  from  his  "Decisive  Conflicts."  He 
foretold  the  issue,  when  Burnside  first  reached  Falmouth. 
Nevertheless,  of  all  our  writers,  perhaps,  he  is  fairest  to 
our  reckless  general,  as  he  is  most  appreciative  of  our 
valorous  men. 

"Perhaps  no  antagonistic  generals  ever  enjoyed  better 
opportunities  of  surveying  the  field,  on  which  they  had 
to  deliver  and  receive  battle,  than  Burnside  and  Lee  at 
Fredericksburg.  Before  the  one,  standing  in  front  of 
the  Phillips  or  Lacy  House,  looking  west,  and  the  other 
occupying  the  highest  elevation  of  the  range  known  as 
Marye's  Heights,  looking  east,  the  ground  was  spread 
out  like  an  isometrical  map,  and  the  battle  developed 
itself  like  a  panorama. 

"At  Fredericksburg  the  Confederates  had  every 
advantage  in  their  favor,  a  very  strong  position,  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  that  position,  the  most  reliable 
information  of  our  every  movement,  numbers  not  so 
inferior,  if  the  truth  could  be  reached,  and  entity  of 
command:  that  is,  oneness  of  sentiment  and  will 
throughout  the  generals,  from  Lee  down,  which  was  not 
the  case,  generally,  in  our  army,  and  was  far  from  the 
case  in  the  action  under  consideration. 


FREDERICKSBURG  9? 


«r 


'There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  the 
intrepidity  displayed  by  the  Southerners  in  assaulting 
our  position  at  Gettysburg.  It  was  indeed  very  great. 
Perhaps  European  military  annals  present  few,  if  any, 
as  grand  examples.  But  it  did  not  approach  to  the 
magnificence  of  the  Union  attacks  at  Fredericksburg. 

"The  Confederates  charged  once,  and  were  annihilated. 
Their  charge  was  sublime,  but  it  was  not  repeated; 
whereas  Northerners  seem  to  forget  that,  at  Fredericks- 
burg, their  brethren  charged  six  times  against  a  position 
many  times  stronger  than  Cemetery  Ridge — yea,  as  many 
times  stronger  as  they  repeated  their  attempts — and 
retired  (one  division,  Humphreys,  we  know  did)  singing 
and  hurrahing:  something  to  which  it  would  puzzle 
students  of  military  history  to  find  a  parallel. 

"In  their  admiration  for  the  gallantry  of  the  enemy, 
Northerners  are  too  prone  to  forget  the  greater  gallantry 
of  their  own  'Boys  in  Blue.' 

"The  battle  of  Fredericksburg  would  have  been  a 
victory,  could  fiery  courage  have  overcome  material 
obstacles.  ISTever  in  the  history  of  war  have  brave  men 
dashed  themselves  with  more  undaunted  valor  against 
the  barriers  of  death,  than  those  who,  like  Humphrey's 
division,  again  and  again,  six  times,  charged  into  a 
volcano  vomiting  forth  destruction. 

"What  men  could  do,  the  Union  right  did,  while  the 
left  stood  inactive  and  scarcely  made  a  sign,  except  the 
meteoric  blaze  of  Meade. 

'The  gradual  accumulation  of  testimony,  and  develop- 
ment of  the  details  of  this  bloody  conflict,  seem  to 
preclude  any  doubt  but  that,  if  Franklin  had  attacked 
with  vigor;  had  supported,  adequately,  Meade's  brilliant 
charge,  which  perforated  the  enemy's  line ;  and  employed 
to  advantage  the  vast  force  at  his  disposal,  he  must  have 
carried  the  heights,  in  his  front,  turned  the  enemy's 
positions  and  made  Fredericksburg  a  glorious  success  for 
the  Union  arms. 

"To  what  extent  it  would  have  been  decisive  would 

have  depended,  in   a  great  measure,   on   how  far   Lee 
7 


98  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

persevered  in  his  resistance;  since,  unless  absolutely 
routed,  he  could  have  made  an  advantageous  retreat 
through  the  country  in  his  rear,  which  presents  a  succes- 
sion of  positions  susceptible  of  easy  and  protracted 
defense.  What  the  IS!"orth  wanted,  however,  at  that  time, 
was  not  so  much  a  complete  victory,  as  a  triumph,  which 
the  world  would  accept  as  such,  since  the  'glorious  but 
luckless'  Army  of  the  Potomac  had  only  the  barren 
results  of  Antietam,  in  which  all  that  was  gained  was 
the  possession  of  the  battlefield,  and  the  partial,  though 
splendid  affairs  of  Williamsburg  and  South  Mountain — 
the  last  two  rendered  utterly  resultless,  through  the 
overcaution  of  McClellan — to  set  off  against  the  series 
of  victories  which  had  crowned  the  banners  of  its  rival, 
the  better  handled  and  more  fortunate  'Army  of 
Northern  Virginia/ 

"The  general  to  whom  our  reverse  seems  chiefly  due, 
appears  to  excuse  liimself  for  his  inaction,  or  partial 
action,  on  the  plea  that  he  was  not  justified  in  making 
a  more  decided  attack,  by  the  ambiguous  or  flaccid  orders 
of  his  superior.  (Greeley,  Vol.  II,  p.  346.)  In  other 
words,  that  he  was  only  to  demonstrate. 

"Such  a  plea  seems  out  of  place,  in  an  oflQcer  of  so 
much  acknowledged  ability.  He  should  have  recollected 
that  a  number  of  the  most  important  victories  in  modern 
times  were  won  in  direct  contravention  of  orders;  that, 
in  other  cases,  equally  fortunate  results  followed  the 
conversion  of  a  demonstration  into  a  direct  attack;  that, 
in  many  cases,  the  judgment  of  an  inferior,  on  the  spot, 
as  to  the  moment  for  a  charge,  proved  more  judicious 
than  that  of  a  superior,  at  a  distance;  and  that  disobedi- 
ence, when  founded  on  capacity  to  decide,  self-sacrificing 
assumption  of  responsibility,  and  patriotic  decision,  has 
oftentimes  been  in  reality  (paradox  as  it  seems)  the 
most  faithful  obedience.  The  instances  belonging  to 
each  of  the  above  different  categories  of  action  are  so 
numerous  and  startling  that,  if  collected,  they  would 
constitute  quite  a  large  and  curious  military  work. 

"Concede  that  Burnside  had  given  Franklin  positive 


FREDERICKSBURG  99 

orders  not  to  attack;  should  even  that  have  justified  the 
subordinate  in  not  making  an  attack,  in  case  that  acci- 
dents should  have  revealed  to  him  a  change  in  the 
circumstances  upon  which  the  original  orders  were 
predicated?  Did  not  the  success  of  Meade's  gallant 
charge  operate  exactly  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  equiva- 
lent to  such  a  change? 

"Franklin  had  half  the  Union  army  at  his  disposition, 
and,  with  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  troops  in  hand,  made 
an  attack  with  a  single  division,  and  that,  too,  without 
adequate  support !  If  intended  even  as  a  demonstration, 
it  was  not  made  in  force  sufficient ;  and  no  demonstration 
should  have  been  allowed  to  involve  itself  so  deeply  as  it 
did  in  Meade's  attack.  The  moment  that  it  gave  the 
slightest  indication  of  a  successful  result,  even  a  demon- 
stration should  have  been  converted  into  something  more 
decided:  a  diversion,  an  engagement,  with  the  entire 
force  in  hand,  except  as  understood,  the  proper  reserve. 

"The  ground  was  sufficiently  open,  and  the  position  of 
the  enemy  distinct  enough  to  follow  the  movements  of 
the  attack;  and  it  must  have  been  clear  that,  as  long  as 
the  attention  of  the  Confederates  was  kept  upon  their 
left,  by  lively  and  quickly  repeated  assaults,  they  would 
not  have  dared  to  strengthen  their  right  at  the  expense 
of  their  hard-pressed  or  lively  engaged  left. 

"Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  to  the  charge  of 
General  Meade,  and  it  is  the  writer's  firm  conviction, 
after  a  visit  to  the  field,  that  the  event  would  have  been 
a  victory,  had  he  been  supported  in  force,  and  in  time. 
It  is  doubtful  if  it  would  have  been  such  a  victory  as 
the  second  Corinth,  or  Chattanooga,  or  Cedar  Creek,  or 
Nashville;  but  it  would  have  been  one  of  the  same  class 
as  Shiloh,  Stone  River,  Antietam,  or  Gettysburg,  of 
which  the  former  two  could  not  be  made  more  complete, 
on  account  of  the  weather,  and  circumstances  beyond 
human  control;  and  of  which  the  latter  two  were  not 
made  com.plete  by  those  who  had  the  control. 

"The  more  this  matter  is  investigated,  the  less  blame 
will  attach  to  Burnside,  and  also  the  less  credit  to  Lee. 


100  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

"Burnside  is  to  blame,  because  he  had  not  made  himself 
sufl&ciently  acquainted  with  the  obstacles  which  he  had 
to  overcome  on  his  right.  There  his  troops  did  all  that 
men  could  do,  and  if  every  general  had  charged  like 
Humphreys,  even  Marye's  Heights  would  have  been 
carried. 

"An  English  critic  of  considerable  observation  and 
great  research,  attributes  Burnside's  failure  to  his 
imperfect  information  with  regard  to  the  enemy's 
defenses.  Even  Lee  admits  that  ^six  times  did  the 
enemy,  notwithstanding  the  havoc  caused  by  our  batteries, 
press  on  with  great  determination,  to  within  one  hundred 
yards  of  the  foot  of  the  hill;'  that  is,  up  to  that  terrible 
srmken  road,  as  strong  as  any  defensive  work  that  could 
have  been  planned  and  executed  by  the  ablest  engineers. 

"But  Burnside  must  be  held  blameless  for  everything 
which  occurred  on  the  left,  where  Franklin  had  from 
fiftj^-five  to  sixty  thousand  men." 


CHAPTEE  XXXVII] 

THE  PLAN  OF   CHANCELLOESVILLE 

Burnside's  failure  against  Fredericksburg  was  followed, 
in  January,  1863,  by  a  bootless  attempt  to  flank  Lee's 
left — the  notorious  "mud  march."  His  army  became 
disheartened  and  disorganized.  Discipline  almost  ceased. 
The  enormous  number  of  eighty-five  thousand  men  and 
officers  appear  upon  the  rolls  as  absent  without  leave.  In 
the  latter  part  of  January  Burnside  was  relieved,  Hooker 
succeeding  him. 

From  this  time  until  the  end  of  April  Hooker  carried 
on  the  brilliant  work  of  reorganization  which  made  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  the  best  fighting  machine  it  had 
ever  been.  It  lay  in  its  camp,  at  Falmouth,  with  Lee 
across  the  river  upon  the  formidable  heights  behind 
Fredericksburg.  At  the  end  of  April  Hooker  made  his 
first  moves  in  the  Chancel!  orsville  campaign. 

Chancellorsville,  the  most  complex,  from  the  critic's 
standpoint,  is  the  most  interesting  battle  of  the  war. 
It  is  the  most  difficult  to  comprehend.  We  have  chosen, 
therefore,  to  give  a  somewhat  extended  review  of  it  from 
the  pen  of  General  de  Peyster.  He  alone  fully  grasps 
and  appreciates  the  strategy  of  the  campaign,  and  he 
alone  weighs  the  merits  and  mistakes  of  Hooker  in  a 
just  balance.  The  account  given  here  is  from  "Chancel- 
lorsville and  its  Eesults,"  in  "Decisive  Conflicts,"  and 
the  series  of  articles  on  "Chancellorsville"  which 
appeared  in  "Onward"  in  1869-70.  The  remainder  of 
this  chapter,  and  all  of  the  three  following,  are  in 
General  de  Peyster's  words. 

"The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  which  had  been  organized 
in  the  fall  of  1861,  with  so  much  enthusiasm  and  so 
profuse  an  expenditure  of  capital,  and  which,  under 
capable   and   energetic   leaders,   independent   of  bureau 

101 


102  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

control,  might  have  accomplished  so  much,  now  received 
another  General-in-Chief.  The  unready  McClellan,  who 
had  damped  its  enthusiasm  and  dashed  its  hopes,  had 
been  removed.  The  gallant  Kearny,  who  was  destined 
to  the  command,  had  fallen  a  victim  to  his  undaunted 
courage  and  his  untiring  military  enterprise.  The 
patriotic  Burnside,  with  good  intentions  but  bad  strategy, 
had  thrust  it  across  the  Rappahannock,  and,  beneath  the 
batteries  of  the  foe,  to  a  useless  butchery,  and  now 
General  Joseph  Hooker,  who  had  shown  himself  the  most 
able,  the  most  earnest  and  energetic  of  all  the  corps 
commanders,  assumed  its  leadership. 

"Few  men  have  been  more  misrepresented  than  Hooker. 
The  popular  mind  has  been  deceived,  and  has  deceived 
itself,  with  the  idea  that  he  is  no  more  than  a  reliable 
fighting  subordinate,  whereas  few  commanders,  in  any 
part  of  the  great  struggle,  have  shown  better  organizing 
and  strategical  abilities. 

"Hooker  received  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  in  a 
shattered  and  disorganized  condition. 

"To  convert  this  weary  and  demoralized  mass  into  a 
vigorous  army,  capable  of  aggressive  enterprise,  required 
a  leader  like  this  general,  whose  record  commenced  with 
his  unconquerable  tenacity  at  Williamsburgh,  continued, 
without  shade  throughout  the  bloody  'seven  days  before 
Richmond,'  and  shone  with  new  lustre  on  the  ghastly 
plains  of  Bull  Run  and  the  gory  hill-sides  of  Antietam. 
The  spirit  displayed  on  these  fields  was  soon  felt  by  an 
Army,  which,  although  it  had  always  been  true  to  itself, 
had  always  seen  its  best  efforts  wasted  and  fruitless.  He 
at  once  introduced  a  thoroughness  of  system  and  a 
vigilance  of  detail  which  made  the  Rebel  commander 
admit  that  he  was  never  kept  so  much  on  the  alert  during 
any  period  of  his  command. 

"Before  his  accession  the  outpost  service  had  been 
totally  unreliable.  Hooker  at  once  threw  around  his 
army  such  a  circle  of  eclaireurs,  videttes,  and  pickets  as 
to  make  it  a  perfect  sensitive  plant.  While  he  continued 
in  command,  none  of  those  disgraceful  surprises  occurred 


THE  TLAN  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     103 

which  had  before  given  rise,  in  military  minds,  to  the 
question  whether  the  Federal  Armies  had  any  picket 
lines  at  all.  Nor  did  any  cavalry  raid  swoop  down  upon 
his  source  of  supply,  as  Stuart  had  done  at  the  White 
House;  as  Wheeler  had  done  at  Murf reesboro ;  as  Stone- 
wall Jackson  had  done  at  Manassas  Junction,  and  as 
Forest  and  Morgan  so  often  did  in  the  operations  west 
of  the  mountains. 

"Moreover,  the  distinguishing  badges  by  which  corps, 
divisions,  and  brigades  were  designated  with  simplicity 
and  clearness  were  first  applied  by  Hooker  to  his  com- 
mand. Before  his  system  was  adopted,  marauders  or 
stragglers  were  not  recognizable;  henceforward  it  was 
otherwise.  His  system,  confined  at  first  to  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  then  transferred  to  the  fields  of  Georgia, 
and  adopted  by  the  brave  troops  of  the  West,  was  finally 
adopted  throughout  the  Federal  forces.  Finally,  the 
organization  and  efiiciency  of  the  Federal  cavalry  is  a 
rose  which  no  envy  can  pluck  from  the  chaplet  of 
Hooker's  achievements. 

"The  general  orders  of  Hooker,  at  this  period  of  his 
command,  furnish  at  once  a  test-book  for  the  military 
student,  and  the  best  insight  into  the  character  and  views 
of  the  commander.  Much,  doubtless,  was  attributable 
to  his  able  and  hardworking  Chief  of  Staff,  General 
Butterfield,  but  it  was  due  principally  to  the  courtesy 
and  justice  of  his  chief  that  the  abilities  of  the  subordi- 
nate were  allowed  to  exercise  a  marked  influence,  and 
make  themselves  felt  in  all  parts  of  the  organization. 

"In  these  labors  of  recuperation  and  reinvigoration 
three  months  passed  away.  The  spring  winds  and  the 
warm  sun  of  April  had  dried  the  Virginia  roads,  and, 
as  much  from  the  promptings  of  his  constitutional 
audacity  and  enterprise,  as  in  obedience  to  suggestions 
from  Washington,  Hooker  determined  upon  a  bold 
initiative. 

"His  plan  embraced  nothing  less  than  the  defeat  and 
destruction  of  the  entire  Eebel  force.  This  end  he  pro- 
posed to  accomplish  by  sending  his  cavalry  force,  some 


104  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

13,000  strong,  across  the  upper  Eappahannock,  to 
advance  on  the  communications  of  the  enemy  by  the 
Fredericksburgh  line,  and  check  or  cut  off  his  retreat 
over  those  lines.  'If  you  cannot  cut  off  from  his  column 
large  slices,'  says  Hooker  in  his  instructions  to  Stoneman, 
'the  general  desires  that  you  will  not  fail  to  take  small 
ones.  Let  your  watchword  be  Fight!  Fight!  FIGHT! 
bearing  in  mind  that  time  is  as  valuable  to  the  general 
as  Eebel  carcasses.' 

"With  these  instructions  to  Stoneman,  the  command- 
ing general  proceeded,  as  soon  as  infantry  movements 
were  practicable,  to  develop  his  masterly  plan  for  crossing 
the  Eappahannock  and  throwing  a  strong  force  on  the 
enemy's  line  of  retreat. 

"The  war  had  been  raging  for  two  years,  and  great 
exploits  had  illustrated  our  annals  on  both  sides  of  the 
struggle  and  on  each  side  of  the  Alleghanies;  but  mili- 
tary authorities  agree  that,  up  to  that  time,  no  operation 
on  the  part  of  the  Federal  forces  manifested  higher 
military  qualities,  or  is  more  instructive,  on  account  of 
the  secrecy,  rapidity  and  energy  of  the  different 
movements. 

"On  the  20th  of  April  Hooker  lay  at  Falmouth  with 
seven  corps,  numbering  about  16,000  in  each  corps,  or 
112,000  in  all.  Of  these,  a  remarkably  clear-headed 
corps  commander  estimated  that  not  over  80,000  were 
effectives.  Lee  was  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
strongly  entrenched  on  the  liills  back  of  Fredericksburgh, 
with  detached  forces  at  Port  Eoyal,  and  others  at  the 
United  States  Ford  and  Banks'  Ford  above  Fredericks- 
burgh, holding  thus  a  line  of  observation  on  the  river  of 
about  thirty  miles. 

Lee's  force  was,  probably,  about  100,000;  that  is, 
counting  all  he  could  control.  Babcock  estimates  his 
force,  in  face  of  Hooker,  at  84,800 — 15,600  before  Peck 
at  Suffolk — 69,200.  His  force  has  been  estimated  at 
from  about  50,000  to  about  85,000,  and  at  even  more. 
One  corps  was  commanded  by  Stonewall  Jackson,  which 
was,  of  itself,  an  assurance  that  Hooker  might  expect 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     105 

vigorous  opposition  as  soon  as  the  river  was  crossed,  or 
while  in  the  act  of  crossing,  and  that  flank  movements 
of  great  vigor  and  dash  would  probably  be  undertaken 
and  perhaps  executed. 

"The  strategy  of  the  Federal  commander  was,  of 
course,  to  deceive  the  Eebel  commander  as  to  the  point 
where  the  principal  movement  was  to  be  made,  and  to 
throw  his  force  across  the  river  at  some  unguarded  point. 
This  plan  was  undertaken  and  successfully  carried  out 
as  follows :  The  main  army  of  Lee  was  behind  the  field- 
works  near  Fredericksburgh,  and  the  manoeuvre  of 
Hooker  was  so  calculated  as  to  induce  Lee  to  suppose  that 
another  front  attack  was  intended,  and  that  he  had  only 
to  fight  Burnside's  battle  of  Fredericksburgh,  of  Decem- 
ber^ over  again. 

"On  the  night  of  Monday,  the  27th,  Sedgwick's  and 
Eeynolds's  corps  quitted  their  encampment  and  moved 
to  positions  two  miles  and  three  and  a  half  miles  below 
Fredericksburgh,  where,  early  on  Tuesday  morning,  they 
commenced  operations.  Under  the  concealment  of  a 
thick  fog  Sedgwick  had  his  pontoons  taken  from  their 
trains,  and  had  them  carried  down  on  the  men's 
shoulders  to  the  water,  where  they  were  noiselessly 
launched. 

"These  were  immediately  manned  by  troops,  who, 
rowing  rapidly  over,  succeeded  in  capturing,  with  small 
loss,  the  Eebel  detachments  who  were  disposed  in  double 
rows  of  rifle-pits,  and  guarding  the  fords.  A  lodgment 
having  thus  been  effected  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
at  two  points,  brigades  passed  over,  rifle-pits  were  thrown 
up,  which  were  strengthened  by  earthen  parapets,  and 
bridges  were  immediately  commenced  in  the  rear. 
Sedgwick  very  soon  had  three  bridges  completed,  and 
Eejmolds  two,  on  which  one  division  from  each  corps 
crossed  the  river,  and  set  to  work  immediately  to 
strengthen  the  earthworks  on  the  south  bank. 

"While  this  was  being  accomplished  at  the  river,  the 
four  remaining  divisions  of  the  two  corps,  on  the  north 
bank,  practiced  an  ingenious  ruse,  the  effect  of  which 


106  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

was  to  make  Lee  believe  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
Northern  Army  was  intending  to  cross  at  this  point. 
The  configuration  of  the  ground  was  such  that  Lee  could 
not  see  the  bridges,  neither  could  he  see  the  four  divisions 
on  the  north  bank,  which  was  screened  by  a  fringe  of  hills. 
The  troops  were  now  put  in  motion,  and,  mounting  the 
ridge,  marched  along  its  top  in  full  view  of  the  Confed- 
erates, and  then  dipped  out  of  sight  in  the  direction  of 
the  bridges. 

"Instead  of  crossing,  however,  as  the  Confederates 
supposed,  they  turned  back  through  a  gulley  and  reached 
the  back  side  of  the  hill,  came  around  again  to  the  top, 
and  again  dipped  out  of  sight  towards  the  bridges  as 
before,  the  artillery  and  wagon-trains  following  in  their 
rear,  until  the  Confederates  had  seen  an  array  of  armed 
men,  with  artillery  and  trains,  defile  before  them,  and 
pass  down  to  the  river,  which  they  had  every  reason  to 
suppose  outnumbered  the  host  with  which  Burnside  had 
advanced  against  them  on  nearly  the  same  ground  in 
December. 

"This  ruse,  similar  to  that  practised  by  Torstenson, 
the  night  before  his  crowning  victory  at  Janikau,  6th 
March,  1645,  had  the  desired  effect,  for  in  two  hours 
Jackson  was  seen  marching  from  the  direction  of  Port 
Eoyal,  and  concentrating  on  Fredericksburgh.  Mean- 
time, the  real  advance  towards  Eichmond,  and  the  serious 
movement  in  the  Eebel  rear,  was  being  carried  on  in  a 
different  quarter.  On  Sunday,  the  26th,  Meade's, 
Howard's  and  Slocum's  corps,  being  the  Fifth,  Eleventh, 
and  Twelfth,  broke  camp  at  Falmouth,  and  marched  up 
the  river,  and  so  far  in  its  rear  as  to  be  protected  from 
observation  by  woods  and  broken  grounds,  their  destina- 
tion being  Kelly's  Ford  on  the  Eappahannock,  some 
twenty  miles  up  stream. 

"On  Monday,  Couch's  corps  marched  up  stream  also, 
their  destination  being  the  United  States  Ford,  just  below 
the  confluence  of  the  Eapidan  with  the  Eappahannock, 
and  twelve  miles  above  Fredericksburgh.  Sickles'  corps 
was  stationed  near  Banks'  Ford,  for  the  purpose  of  main- 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     107 

taining  the  connection  between  the  separated  wings  of 
the  Federal  force,  and  covering  the  base  of  supply  and 
communication. 

"Early  on  Tuesday  morning,  the  28th,  Meade,  Slocum, 
and  Howard  reached  Kelly's  Ford,  and  commenced  the 
construction  of  a  pontoon  bridge,  on  which  they  crossed 
the  Eappahannock  that  night.  On  Wednesday,  the  29th, 
Howard's  and  Slocum's  corps  moved  eastwardly  along 
the  south  bank  of  the  Eappahannock  and  crossed  the 
Eapidan  at  Germania  Ford,  and  Meade's  corps,  at  the 
same  time,  crossed  the  Eapidan  at  Ely's  Ford,  which  is 
four  miles  above  the  United  States  Ford,  and  eight  miles 
below  Germania  Ford,  Couch  still  remaining  at  the 
United  States  Ford,  and  Sickles  lying  between  Banks' 
Ford  and  Falmouth.  On  Thursday,  the  30th,  the  troops 
which  had  crossed  the  Eapidan,  with  those  who  crossed 
the  Eappahannock  at  the  United  States  Ford,  were  con- 
verged at  Chancellorsville,  from  which  place  the 
Confederate  General  Anderson  had  rapidly  withdrawn. 

"Thus,  on  Thursday  evening.  Hooker  was  holding 
Chancellorsville  with  a  force  nearly  equal  to  one  estimate 
of  the  Eebel  army;  while  Sedgwick  had  effected  a  lodg- 
ment on  the  south  side  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  built  here 
five  bridges,  uj^on  which  his  entire  force  could  be  rapidly 
thrown  across  the  river  upon  Lee's  rear  the  moment  he 
weakened  his  fortified  lines  for  the  purpose  of  attacking 
Hooker  at  Chancellorsville.  Nothing,  it  was  evident,  but 
the  most  masterly  tactics  on  the  part  of  the  Confederates, 
could  extricate  them  from  the  Jaws  of  the  vise  which 
was  ready  to  close  upon  them. 

"Having  endeavored  to  give  succinctly  some  idea  of 
the  extent  of  the  stage  and  features  of  the  ground  upon 
which  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies  were  about  to 
collide,  it  seems  just  to  Hooker  to  add  that  this  forms 
only  a  small  portion  of  the  stage  on  which,  first  and 
last,  he  had  to  perform.  While  the  fighting  proper  was 
confined  within  a  space  of  thirteen  miles  east  and  west, 
and  from  three  to  four  miles  north  and  south,  his  demon- 
strations and  actual  moves  extended  over  a  segment  of 


108  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

nearly  forty  miles,  from  Port  Eoyal  on  the  Eappa- 
hannock  to  the  southeast — a  point  about  eighteen  miles 
east-southeast  of  Fredericksburg — to  Kelly's  and  Ger- 
mania  Fords,  some  twenty-two  miles  west-northwest  of 
that  city.  This  was  an  enormous  extent  of  front,  when 
the  nature  of  the  country  is  considered,  which  precluded 
any  personal  supervision  of  what  was  ordered  or  done 
in  it. 

"Of  all  the  battles  of  the  rebellion,  the  writer  has 
found  Chancellorsville  the  most  difficult  to  comprehend 
in  all  its  turns  and  phases.  Even  yet  some  of  its  move- 
ments continue  to  be  enigmas  to  him ;  that  is,  as  regards 
the  reasons  which  led  to  them,  and  the  objects  sought  to 
be  obtained.  If  the  student  meets  with  so  much 
difficulty  in  his  investigations,  how  much  more  intricate 
must  the  question  appear  to  an  ordinary  reader. 

"Like  Gettysburg,  it  was  a  very  hard  battle,  of  three 
consecutive  days;  and,  counting  the  collision  of  Friday, 
1st  May,  of  five.  Considered  either  as  a  three  or  five 
days'  conflict,  it  was  not  even  then  a  long-enduring, 
simple  fight,  but  a  complicated  one.  Indeed,  on  three 
consecutive  days,  there  were  two  distinct  battles  on  each 
day.  Correctly  speaking,  the  fight  at  Suffolk  might  also 
be  considered  a  part  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  for 
at  the  very  time  that  Lee  was  attacking  Hooker,  on  the 
Eappahannock,  Longstreet,  with  a  portion  of  Lee's  'Army 
of  Northern  Virginia,'  was  assailing  Peck  on  the 
Nansemond. 

"Hooker's  preparations  for  the  battle — administrative, 
tactical,  as  well  as  strategic — were  all  excellent,  indeed 
perfect.  His  manoeuvres,  preliminary  to  and  attending 
the  passage  of  the  Eappahannock  and  Eapid  Anna,  were 
skilful  in  the  extreme.  One  of  the  ablest  of  foreign 
critics  has  deemed  them  worthy  of  citation,  as  a  model, 
on  account  of  the  secrecy,  rapidity  and  energy  displayed 
in  making  them. 

"If  tactics,  as  often  defined,  signifies  the  operations, 
dispositions,  and  handling  of  an  army  in  the  presence  of 
an    enemy,    or    in    contact    with    one,    then    Hooker's 


JOHN   WATTS    DE   PEYSTER 
iibout    1SS2 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLORSVILLE     109 

manoeuvring,  preliminary  to  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  with  his  initiative,  is  one  of  the  finest  exhibitions 
of  tactics,  combined  or  simple,  during  our  great  civil 
war.  They  will  always  stand  high  among  the  brilliant 
examples  deemed  worthy  of  record  for  future  application. 

"The  plan  of  Chancellorsville  was  a  master  conception. 
It  yet  remains  to  be  explained  why  it  failed.  'Sooner  or 
later,'  says  Montesquieu,  ""all  will  be  made  known.'  To 
Hooker,  as  a  general,  may  be  applied,  in  another  sense, 
tlie  idea  that  he  is  ^monarch  of  all  he  surveys.'  His 
coup  d'oeil  is  magnificent.  His  plan  of  operations,  in 
regard  to  the  battle  which  occurred  at  Gettysburg,  was 
excellent,  and  if  carried  out,  as  he  intended,  would  have 
ground  Lee  to  pieces  between  an  upper  and  nether 
millstone.  His  military  calibre  may  be  best  explained 
by  a  comparison:  He  cannot  play  chess  blindfold.  Any 
battlefield,  within  the  scope  of  vision,  he  is  capable  of 
governing,  but  the  question  is,  can  he,  by  telegraph  or 
orders,  direct  vast  and  difficult  combinations  beyond  the 
range  of  vision? 

"On  Thursday,  the  30th  April,  and  Friday,  1st  May, 
Hooker  had  thrown  two  divisions  of  the  Second  Corps, 
Couch's;  the  Third,  Sickles;  the  Fifth,  Meade's;  the 
Eleventh,  Howard's;  and  Twelfth,  Slocum's;  also 
Pleasanton's  brigade  of  cavalry ;  across  the  Rappahannock 
and  the  Eapid  Anna  (Eapidan),  above  their  junction; 
and  they  were  concentrated  around  what  is  known  as 
Chancellorsville,  a  village  or  hamlet  consisting  of  a 
single  solitary  brick  house,  with  its  outbuildings.  Here 
Hooker  had  his  headquarters.  Originally  almost  in  the 
centre  of  his  army,  through  mismanagement  or  misfor- 
tune it  soon  constituted  his  left,  when  his  right,  held 
by  Howard,  occupied  the  high  and  commanding  position, 
about  three  miles  west  of  Chancellorsville,  at  the  Talley 
House  or  Farm. 

"When  Hooker  had  crossed  the  river,  and  sought,  on 
the  1st  of  May,  to  form  his  line,  as  he  should  have 
done,  at  right  angles  to  the  river  and  the  turnpike — had 
he  carried  out  this  plan  and  sustained  himself  in  this 


110  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

position,  he  would  have  had  the  enemy  in  a  trap.  That 
line  would  have  stopped  for  Lee  every  avenue  of  escape, 
except  the  direct  road  to  Eichmond.  After  he  had 
assumed  his  new  line,  all  these  ways  of  escape  were  again 
uncovered. 

"It  is  seldom  that  the  annals  of  war  are  called  upon 
to  chronicle  more  consummate  strategy  than  that  which 
transferred  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  from  the  left  bank 
of  the  Eappahannock  to  the  right,  and  placed  it  in  a 
position  to  menace  the  escape  of  its  two-years  long 
antagonist,  the  more  fortunate  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia. The  over-estimated  Lee,  who  had  spent  the 
preceding  five  months  in  studying  the  region  in  which 
he  had  achieved  a  sanguinary  success,  was  completely 
foiled — duped  is  scarcely  too  strong  a  word. 

"To  understand  how  completely  Hooker  had  circum- 
vented Lee,  and  placed  himself  between  the  latter  and 
his  capital  and  base,  a  resort  to  the  map  is  necessary. 
This  will  show  that  if  Hooker  had  occupied  tliQ  line 
which  he  designated  in  his  orders  of  Friday,  1st  May, 
A.  M.,  Lee  would  have  been  cut  off  from  every  line  of 
retreat  except  the  direct  one  upon  Eichmond — the  very 
line  which  Stoneman  had  been  detached  with  his  cavalry 
to  break  up :  so  that  if  Stoneman  had  accomplished  the 
service  assigned  to  him,  and  ruined  the  railroad,  Lee 
would  have  had  to  fall  back  upon  a  barren  country,  from 
which  he  could  derive  no  supplies,  upon  country  roads — 
Virginia  roads,  bottomless,  because  apparently  based  on 
quicksand — which,  in  consequence  of  rain,  must  have 
become  almost  immediately  impassable  for  his  trains 
and  artillery. 

"Indeed,  had  Stoneman  destroyed  the  bridges  in  his 
rear,  and  thoroughly  cut  the  Aquia  or  Fredericksburg 
and  Eichmond  railroad,  it  is  difficult  to  conceive  how 
Lee  could  have  escaped  a  prompt  and  unrelenting 
pursuit,  even  if  he  had  avoided  an  immediate  battle.  In 
such  a  case,  Hooker  would  have  been  in  his  element,  for  at 
Williamsburg  he  had  shown  how  vigorously  he  could  pur- 
sue and  how  fiercely  he  could  cling  to  a  retreating  enemy," 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     111 

"If  Hooker  had  been  killed,  making  a  reconnoissance, 
on  the  morning  of  Friday,  1st  of  May,  1863,  in  the 
same  way  that  a  twin-spirit,  Kearny,  lost  his  life,  in  the 
performance  of  a  like  imperative  duty  on  the  evening  of 
1st  September,  1862 — had  Hooker,  we  say,  fallen,  while 
riding  forward  to  investigate  for  himself  the  field  on 
which  he  was  about  to  act  as  he  had  done  a  year  previous, 
shortly  after  daybreak,  Monday,  5th  May,  1862,  before 
his  great  fight  at  Williamsburg — his  successful  crossing 
of  the  Rappahannock  and  complete  outgeneraling  of  Lee, 
taken  in  connection  with  his  previous  record  as  a  first- 
class  fighter  and  a  wonderful  organizer,  would  have 
justified  the  country  in  claiming  that  it  had  produced  a 
great  commander;  one  who  had  shown  himself  worthy 
to  rank  among  the  few  great  captains  competent  to 
make,  and  make  use  of,  an  army  of  over  one  hundred 
thousand  men.  And  the  nation  would  have  been  justified 
in  boasting  that  an  untimely  but  glorious  death  had  cut 
short  the  career  of  one  of  those  rare  great  captains  whose 
brilliant  inner  lights  were  worthy  his  magnificent 
presence  on  the  battlefield ;  a  presence  replete  with  grace 
and  grandeur,  unexceeded  and  very  rarely  equalled. 

"Indeed,  had  Hooker  listened  to  Pleasanton;  had  he 
listened  to  Slocum;  had  he  listened  to  the  first  inspira- 
tions of  his  own  genius,  he  had  nine  out  of  ten  chances 
in  favor  of  winning  one  of  the  greatest  and  most  decisive 
battles  of  the  war. 

"That  he  had  the  capacity  to  comprehend  what  he 
ought  to  do  is  evinced  by  his  order  for  the  general 
advance  of  his  troops ;  which  will  be  again  referred  to  at 
length.  That  he  did  not  carry  out  his  own  brilliant 
conception,  but  was  untrue  to  himself,  is  one  of  those 
enigmas  before  which  the  critic  stands  mute,  incompe- 
tent to  understand  the  subsequent  irresolution  which  no 
excuse  seems  adequate  to  justify,  unless  there  were  secret 
reasons,  known  only  to  the  chief — reasons  which  he  has 
been  too  magnanimous  to  publish. 

"When  Hooker  had  successfully  and  grandly  solved 
the  most  difficult  part  of  the  war  problem  which  required 


112  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

solution  at  his  hands,  and  when  he  had  at  least  one-half 
of  his  magnificent  army  concentrated  in  hand,  ready  to 
act  south  of  the  Rappahannock,  he  was  almost  justified 
in  his  expressions  of  exultation  at  the  happy  result  of 
his  complete  out-generaling  of  Lee. 

"There  was  one  circumstance,  however,  unfavorable 
for  Hooker.  Immediately  in  front  of  his  right  wing, 
which  was  resting  on  Hunting  Creek,  an  affluent  of  the 
Eapidan,  the  country  was  a  wild  and  tangled  wilderness, 
with  a  few  obscure  roads,  which  were  but  very  partially 
known  to  any  of  the  Federals,  but  the  whole  country 
was  perfectly  familiar  to  the  Eebels, 

"Unfortunately  for  himself  and  for  the  country. 
Hooker  did  not  seem  to  appreciate  the  terrible  fact  that 
he  was  now  called  upon  to  operate  in  a  district  whose 
natural  difficulties  demanded  a  totally  different  applica- 
tion of  military  science  from  almost  any  other  theatre 
on  which  it  had  ever  been  called  upon  to  adapt  itself. 
Subsequently,  in  1864,  the  very  same  difficulties  again 
presented  themselves,  upon  almost  the  very  same  ground 
— certainly  upon  an  identical  stage — and  were  only 
overcome  by  a  vastly  superior  authority,  doubled,  aye 
quadrupled,  in  impulsive  and  directing  power  by  an 
energy  and  will  almost  unexampled  in  its  indomitable 
tenacity  and  'potential  fight' — having  under  its  control, 
too,  vastly  superior  forces,  which  it  could  impel  without 
consideration  of  life,  like  successive  waves,  upon  a  resist- 
ing force  from  which  the  best  material  had  been 
gradually  eliminated  by  a  year  of  fighting  and  suffering 
— by  the  fearful  waste  at  Gettysburg,  or,  more  particu- 
larly, by  the  extreme  hard  fighting  in  the  very  battle 
now  under  consideration. 

"Such  a  struggle  as  that  of  Chancellorsville,  and  those 
in  the  same  Wilderness  in  the  ensuing  year,  justified  the 
remark  of  the  Swiss  Colonel  Lecompte,  that  "^sueh  figliting 
did  not  constitute  a  battle — that  is,  a  battle  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  word — but  a  vast  skirmish;'  or,  better  even, 
perhaps,  a  congeries  of  vast  skirmishes,  or,  to  use  an 
Americanism     full     of     common-sense     suggestiveness. 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLORSVILLE     113 

'bushwhacking  on  the  biggest  scale  possible/  Could  any 
European  general  be  brought  to  comprehend  such  a 
theatre  of  action,  and  then  be  called  upon  to  act  or 
operate  upon  it,  he  would  find  that  every  preconceived 
notion  in  regard  to  professional  fighting  would  be  almost 
without  value  in  such  a  region — a  labyrinth  of  woods, 
and  jungles,  and  marshes,  and  bad-bottomed  streams. 

"A  parallel  may  be  instituted  between  Hooker's  plan 
for  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  and  that  of  Frederick 
the  Great  for  the  battle  of  Torgau.  Hooker,  in  carrying 
out  his  project,  had  much  greater  difficulties  to  overcome 
than  the  'unique'  Prussian ;  and  had  risen  nobly  superior 
to  them.  He  had  to  cross  a  deep,  wide,  fickle,  and,  at 
times,  furious  river,  in  the  presence  of  very  bold  and 
enterprising  enemies;  a  very  difficult  preliminary  which 
Frederic  did  not  find  between  him  and  the  Austrians. 
In  speaking  of  Hooker's  enemies  as  daring  and  energetic, 
Lee's  subordinates,  as  a  body,  are  intended,  not  Lee 
himself.  Both  Frederic  and  Hooker  had  to  operate  in 
dense  woods. 

"As  previously  remarked.  Hooker  seems  to  have  fully 
recognized  the  necessity  of  a  brilliant  convergent  aggres- 
sive, in  his  dispositions  of  the  1st,  A.  M.,  when,  in  his 
orders,  he  designated  the  line  which  extended  from 
Todd's  Tavern,  on  the  left  and  south,  to  Bank's  Ford, 
on  the  right  and  north.  Nevertheless,  hours  were 
suffered  to  slip  away  unemployed. 

"About  10 :30  A.  M.,  he  woke  up  to  the  exigencies  of 
the  occasion,  and  sent  his  aide — that  remarkable  topo- 
graphical genius,  W.  H.  Paine — to  direct  the  Fifth  Corps 
(Meade's),  on  Hooker's  immediate  extreme  left,  to 
advance  on  the  'river  road.'  Paine  bore,  in  addition, 
verbal  orders  to  the  effect,  as  recorded  by  him:  'The 
heights  of  Fredericksburg  to  be  carried  (from  the  west; 
Sedgwick  was  opening  from  the  east)  at  2  P.  M.' 

"Captain  Paine  then  carried  similar  orders  to  the 
Twelfth  Corps  (Slocum's)  printed  orders  that  read — 
'the  head  of  it  resting  (not  resting  at  the  time,  but 
to  rest)  near  Tabernacle  Church,'  about  four  miles  east- 


114  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

southeast    of    Chancellorsville,    on    the    same    front    as 
Meade. 

"Slocum  received  Paine's  communication  gladly.  He 
evidently  comprehended  and  appreciated  fully  the  object 
Hooker  had  in  view — an  enveloping  and  crushing  attack 
upon  Lee.  He  said  to  Paine,  'Stay  with  me ;  I  have 
anticipated  this  order — see  it  put  into  execution;  there 
is  my  skirmish  line  ready  to  move.'  And  away  went 
the  Twelfth  Corps,  heads  down  and  tails  up,  like  a 
well-trained  pack  of  hounds  on  a  hot  scent. 

"This  advance,  begun  with  such  alacrity,  was  destined 
to  be  cut  short  most  unexpectedly  and  speedily. 

"When  Paine  returned  to  his  commander,  and  reported 
the  promptness  with  which  Slocum  had  responded  to 
the  order  to  push  on,  he  was  dumbfounded  at  hearing 
Hooker  direct  him  to  return  to  General  Slocum  and 
countermand  the  orders  to  advance,  and,  moreover,  to 
return  to  tlie  position  which  he  held  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M. ! 
Paine,  although  one  of  the  most  gentle  and  obedient  of 
aides,  thereupon  remarked  that  he  did  not  like  to  carry 
such  an  order,  so  contradictory  that  Slocum  would 
scarcely  credit  its  reliability,  unless  reduced  to  writing; 
and  hesitated.  Hooker  then  repeated  the  order,  more 
decidedly;  and,  finding  that  the  captain  still  lingered 
and  urged  that  such  a  communication  ought  to  be 
given  to  him  in  writing,  added  that  he — Paine — should 
push  on,  and  that  another  aide  would  be  sent  after  him 
with  a  written  order  to  the  same  effect. 

"General  Slocum  could  scarcely  credit  the  order  to 
retire.  Paine  then  returned  to  Hooker,  and  was  imme- 
diately sent  out  again  to  Meade,  with  a  'verbal  order' 
for  him  'to  retire  about  3  P.  M.'  He  (Meade)  had 
advanced  to  Decker's  (down  near  the  river),  about  three 
miles  towards  Bank's  Ford,  and  in  sight  of  the  same. 

"This  counter-order,  so  inexplicable  to  Captain  Paine, 
who  bore  it,  and  to  General  Slocum,  who  first  received 
ifc,  had  always  been,  and  still  is,  incomprehensible  to 
tlie  ^vriter. 

"The  result  was  that  this  Friday  (unlucky  day)  closed 


THE  PLAN  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     115 

with  the  assumption  of  a  new  line,  in  a  great  measure 
parallel  to  the  plank  road  and  river,  instead  of  being 
perpendicular  to  them,  as  it  should  have  been.  This 
was  nothing  better  than  inviting  an  attack,  for  which 
the  general  to  whom  the  key-point  at  Talley's  was 
intrusted  took  no  adequate  steps  to  prepare.  That  same 
night,  Friday,  1st  of  May,  Lee  and  Jackson  bivouacked 
under  some  pine  trees  to  the  left  or  south  of  the  plank 
road,  near  the  intersection  of  the  ^Furnace  Eoad,'  fully 
two  miles  and  a  half  inside  of  the  point  which  Slocum's 
skirmishers  had  reached  on  the  preceding  day,  when  they 
were  recalled. 

"Why  Hooker  ever  assumed  the  second  line,  which 
rested  its  right  on  Talley's,  has  never  been  made  suffi- 
ciently clear.  The  waiter  has  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that,  instead  of  forming  his  line  of  battle  parallel  to 
the  turnpike,  under  any  circumstances  whatever,  which 
admitted  of  freedom  of  action,  he  ought  to  have  formed 
it  perpendicular  to  and  across  the  road,  on  one  of  these 
commanding  ridges  wliich,  like  the  plateau  at  Hazel 
Grove,  afforded  good  positions,  highly  susceptible  of 
defense — if  a  defensive  and  not  an  offensive  battle  was 
the  ultimate  object  of  such  a  brilliant  series  of  initiative 
movements,  promising  a  sharp  and  decisive  aggressive. 
If  Hooker's  intention  was  to  receive  and  not  to  give 
battle,  he  should  have  remembered  the  maxim  of  Crom- 
well, that  most  uniformly  successful  commander :  'i^ittack 
without  regard  to  numbers,  being  well  persuaded  that  the 
assailants  have  always  a  great  advantage.' 

"The  summing  up  of  the  events  of  this,  the  first  day 
of  Chancellorsville,  is  no  pleasant  task  to  one  who  feels 
as  warmly  toward  Hooker  as  the  writer.  The  suspension 
of  operations — or,  perhaps,  more  properly  speaking,  the 
abandonment  of  the  crowning  movement  of  a  perfect 
conception  and  almost  faultless  plan  of  operations — leads 
inevitably  to  a  conviction,  as  replete  with  regret  as  the 
criticism,  so  eminently  just,  so  dignified,  and  so  temper- 
ate, pronounced  by  Field  Marshal,  the  Duke  of  Berwick, 
upon  the  failure  on  the  part  of  the  French  to  profit  by 


116  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

their  opportunities  and  attack  the  Allies  at  the  Abbey 
de  Pure,  or  Pare,  near  Louvain,  on  June  (7th),  1693, 
that  'God  did  not  will  the  execution  of  these  beautiful 
plans.' " 


I 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

Jackson's  last  fight 

"Lee  acted  with  sound  judgment  and  great  promptness. 
Leaving  but  a  small  force  at  Fredericksburg,  he  massed 
his  army  in  front  of  Hooker,  and  dispatched  the  right 
arm  of  his  cunning  and  his  strength,  Stonewall  Jackson, 
to  make  one  of  his  brilliant  flank  attacks  on  the  extreme 
right  of  the  Northern  Army, 

"It  may  seem  a  curious  fact  to  many  lay  readers  that 
Frederick's  plan  for  the  battle  of  Torgau  was  identical 
with  Hooker's  for  Chancellorsville ;  and  yet  more  curious 
how  instantly  the  latter's  conception  engendered  a 
similar  idea  in  the  ready  mind  of  Jackson.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  believe  that  a  slow  brain  like  that  of  Lee  could 
have  conceived  so  promptly  such  a  grand  idea;  and  it  is 
still  more  improbable  that,  of  himself^  he  would  have 
carried  it  into  execution  in  time. 

"Lee,  like  too  many  of  the  Northern  generals,  bears 
a  close  resemblance  to  the  Daun  of  the  Seven  Years'  War 
— an  over-cautious  leader — whereas  Stonewall  Jackson 
was  a  perfect  Laudon,  quick  to  plan,  and  as  quick  to 
execute;  with  full  scope  and  freedom  of  action,  which 
Laudon  never  but  once  enjoyed,  when,  in  1761,  he 
effected  a  master-stroke,  finer  even  than  Stonewall 
Jackson  ever  accomplished.  Jackson — as  after  events 
proved,  from  this  very  day,  on,  to  the  end  of  the  war — 
was  at  once  the  brain,  as  well  as  the  right  arm  of  Lee. 

"About  sunrise  of  the  2d,  Jackson  started  with  over 
'thirty  thousand'  men — twenty-six  to  'thirty-five 
thousand  infantry' — to  march  across  Hooker's  whole 
front,  and  take  his  right  in  reverse.  Although  his 
movement  was  screened  by  almost  impenetrable  woods 
and  underbrush,  as  also  by  the  demonstrations  of 
Stewart's  cavalry,  it  did  not  escape  the  vigilant  eyes  of 

117- 


118  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Birney,  who  reported  it  to  his  corps  commander,  Sickles, 
and  he  to  Hooker.  Unfortunately  the  latter  supposed 
it  was  a  movement  of  retreat  or  escape,  though  he  per- 
mitted Sickles  to  make  what  might  be  termed  a 
reconnoisance  with  Birney's  division. 

"Two  divisions  of  the  Third  Corps  were  directed  to 
follow  it  up,  and  this  order  was  promptly  executed;  but 
such  was  the  rapidity  of  Jackson's  movement  that  his 
main  column^  25,000  strong  (he  had,  probably,  in  all 
40,000),  had  passed  on  towards  the  right  flank  before 
Sickles'  troops  had  struck  the  line  of  his  march.  One 
Georgia  regiment,  however,  of  his  rear  guards  were 
made  j^risoners. 

"Hooker's  mistake  as  to  the  intention  of  Stonewall 
Jackson's  movement;  his  erroneous  idea  that  in  it  he 
beheld  the  flight  of  the  Confederates  toward  liichmond; 
and  his  holding  back  Sickles — even  if  he  had  been  correct 
in  his  judgment — was  the  Union  commander's  second 
great  mistake.  His  first  has  been  dwelt  upon  sufficiently 
— the  recall  of  his  orders  to  advance  and  attack  on  the 
morning  of  the  preceding  day,  Friday,  1st  May. 

"Thus,  in  demonstrations  and  reconnoisances,  and 
some  hard  fighting  to  the  left  of  Chancellorsville — where 
Lee  was  pressing  Hooker  to  distract  his  attention — the 
whole  of  Saturday  passed  unimproved  by  the  Union 
army. 

"Stonewall  Jackson  saw  as  clearly  where  the  telling 
blow  had  to  be  planted  as  if  he  had  thoroughly  under- 
stood the  antagonist  against  whom  he  directed  it,  and 
knew  by  actual  investigation  the  neglected  condition  of 
affairs  upon  our  right. 

"If  Sickles  and  Birney,  as  clear-headed  and  intrepid 
as  Jackson  himself,  had  been  unleashed,  the  Confederate 
lieutenant-general's  march  would  have  been  stopped — 
or,  as  Lincoln  said  on  another  occasion,  'haggled.'  The 
very  least  result  of  an  attack  by  Sickles  upon  tlie  flank 
of  Jackson's  column,  had  he  been  permitted  to  move,  as 
Kearny  once  said,  'from  the  word,  go,'  would  have  been 
to  split  that  column  in  twain,  just  as  Grant  drove  the 


JACKSON'S  LAST  FIGHT  119 

wedge  of  his  army  between  those  of  Johnston  and  Pem- 
berton,  in  1863,  and  as  the  Eussians  were  cleft  by  Soult, 
at  Aiisterlitz — caught,  as  Napoleon  expressed  it,  in  the 
very  commission  of  a  folly  amounting  to  crime.  This 
onslaught  in  flank  must  have  given  us  a  victory. 

"The  course  of  Jackson  was  on  a  by-road  through  the 
forest,  diagonally  across  the  front  of  Hooker's  right,  and 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  distant.  He  reached  his 
position  on  the  extreme  right  flank  and  a  little  in  the 
rear  of  Howard's  corps,  in  the  latter  part  of  Saturday 
afternoon,  and  made  an  impetuous  attack  with  his  whole 
force  about  six  o'clock  P.  M. 

"Just  as  the  Eleventh  Corps,  with  'stacked  arms,'  were 
preparing  their  evening  meal  and  making  themselves 
comfortable  for  the  night,  they  were  astonished  by  a 
commotion  that  was  indeed  calculated  to  startle  soldiers 
accustomed  to  methodical  fighting  in  the  more  open  fields 
of  Europe.  Their  bivouacs  were  invaded  on  all  sides  by 
a  multitude  of  terrified  game  and  vermin  that  had  been 
aroused  from  their  lairs  while  settling  down  to  rest.  On 
the  heels  of  this  terrified  swarm  of  fleet  and  flying 
denizens  of  the  woods  followed,  with  almost  equal  speed, 
Jackson's  charging  lines,  amid  crashing  musketry,  fearful 
yells,  and  all  that  wild  theatrical  show  which  none  knew 
how  to  produce  upon  the  battlefield  more  efiiectively  than 
their  leader.  Howard  was  utterly  and  inexcusably 
surprised. 

"Despite  the  express  orders  of  the  commanding 
general,  and  the  fact  of  Jackson's  movement,  which  had 
been  known  for  at  least  twelve  hours,  the  Eleventh  Corps 
was  wholly  unprepared  for  the  assault  of  that  most 
vigorous  and  enterprising  of  the  Eebel  generals. 
Although  the  movement  had  been  seen,  nine  hours  before 
the  attack,  from  General  Devin's  headquarters;  although 
two  divisions  of  Sickles'  corps  had  gone  out  between 
Howard's  left  and  Slocum's  right  and  captured  a  part 
of  Jackson's  rear-guard,  and  Slocum  had,  in  vain, 
attempted  to  penetrate  the  swampy  and  densely  wooded 
region  in  his  front,  where  the  attack  was  made,  yet  late 


120  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

in  the  afternoon  of  Saturday  the  arms  in  Howard's 
corps  were  mostly  stacked  along  the  line,  and  the  men 
were  away  from  them  cooking  their  suppers  and 
collecting  fuel, 

"None  of  the  batteries  were  in  position;  no  disposition 
had  been  made  to  receive  the  attack;  no  pickets  were  on 
the  alert  to  advise  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The 
result  was,  as  may  be  anticipated,  a  total  and  disastrous 
rout  of  the  entire  corps  thus  disgracefully  surprised. 

''Howard  had  neglected  due  precautions  to  insure 
success;  the  more  inexcusable,  as  this  neglect  (as  Hooker 
charges)  involved  a  positive  disobedience  of  orders.  His 
self-confidence  amounted  to  infatuation,  and  he  acted  as 
if  under  a  spell  which  prevented  him  from  seeing  and 
doing  anything.  Thus,  when  Graham  came  up  to 
reenforce  him,  he  seemed  as  if  offended  at  the  idea  of 
his  needing  reenforcements,  and  actually  declared  that 
*he  felt  his  position  so  strong,  that  he  would  invite  the 
whole  Eebel  army  to  attack  him  in  it.' 

"After  every  excuse  is  made,  and  admitted,  in  favor 
of  the  men  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  none  can  be  found 
for  the  officers  charged  with  the  duty  of  guarding  against 
just  such  a  result  as  occurred.  No  surprise  of  the  war 
equals  that  of  our  right  at  Chancellorsville ;  not  that  of 
Prentiss's  division  at  Shiloh,  if  even  the  worst  accounts 
of  it  are  true;  nor  that  of  Casey  at  Eair  Oaks;  nor  that 
of  the  'Army  of  West  Virginia'  at  Cedar  Creek ;  none  of 
these  can  compare  with  it. 

"This  rout,  crumbling,  or  whatever  it  pleases  different 
writers  to  style  it,  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  as  a  whole — 
some  failing  to  dwell  upon  the  redeeming  action  of  por- 
tions of  it — came  very  near  exercising  a  fatal  influence 
upon  all  of  Hooker's  subsequent  operations. 

"Not  only  was  the  Eleventh  Corps  routed  and  thrown 
into  a  disorder  that  rendered  it  useless  for  subsequent 
operations  at  Chancellorsville,  but  the  ground  from 
which  they  had  been  driven  was  the  key  of  the  position. 

"Few  subordinate  actions  in  the  war  can  compare  with, 
that  of  Pleasanton  in  stopping  Stonewall  Jackson, 


JACKSON'S  LAST  FIGHT  121 

"To  his  genius  the  country  is  indebted  for  the  arrest 
of  the  iron-hearted  Confederate  general  in  his  victorious 
career.  But  for  this  checking  up,  what  diverse  and 
appalling  results  might  have  followed !  The  critic's  mind 
shrinks  from  the  contemplation. 

"It  has  been  conceded  that  Stonewall  Jackson's  con- 
ception and  execution  of  tliis,  the  last  day  of  his  life, 
was  also  his  life's  crowning  event. 

"That  this  fearful  disaster,  impending  like  an  avalanche 
over  an  Alpine  valley,  did  not  fall  direct,  but  was 
diverted  and  averted,  is  due  to  a  feat  of  generalship  and 
an  exhibition  of  heroism,  to  both  of  which  the  world  can 
be  challenged  to  produce  superiors. 

"He  was  ready;  he  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  His 
foresight  had  not  deceived  him;  his  excellent  judgment 
and  comprehensive  glance  took  in  the  whole  thing.  He 
had  disengaged  his  cavalry  of  two  regiments — one  com- 
posed of  raw  men — from  the  dense  woods,  and  had 
withdrawn  them  into  a  comparatively  open  space,  in  an 
apple  orchard  south  of  the  plank  road,  which  had  a 
marsh — the  'big  meadow  swamp' — in  its  rear.  There, 
on  a  ridge,  he  so  disposed  them  that  they  appeared  like 
the  head  of  a  heavy  column,  whose  rear-ranks,  dipping 
below  the  crest,  were  concealed  by  the  sloping  ground. 

"In  their  front  he  had  planted  twenty-two  guns,  by 
his  sole  energy  collected  upon  the  spot.  ISTever  did  an 
artillery  officer  display  greater  skill  in  the  management 
of  his  peculiar  arm  than  did  this  general  of  cavalry. 
There,  then,  thus,  with  double-shotted  cannon,  he  awaited 
the  next  surge  of  the  flood-tide  wave  of  the  enemy's 
success,  satisfied  that  it  would  break  in  ruin,  waste  its 
fury,  and  recoil  from  his  awaiting  bronze  and  iron  line. 

"Pleasanton  seems  to  have  looked  forward  to  the  dis- 
solution of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  very  much  as  an 
experienced  engineer  foresees  the  giving  way  of  an  ill- 
constructed  dike,  or  bank,  under  a  certain  amount  of 
pressure ;  or  as  the  'ice-master'  contemplates  the  bursting 
of  a  dam,  with  its  pack  of  aggregated  cakes  and  floes, 
and  the  consequences  of  the  'debacle.' 


132  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"In  a  hurried  conference  with  Sickles  he  had  indicated 
an  open  space — reconnoitered  by  himself — as  more 
favorable  for  the  action  of  his  cavalry  than  the  dense 
woods  farther  to  the  front,  and  was  trotting  back  thither, 
when  an  aide  announced  that  'the  Eleventh  Corps  was 
falling  rapidly  back,  and  that  some  cavalry  was  needed 
to  stop  it/ 

"  'I  understood  pretty  well  what  that  meant,'  said 
Pleasanton. 

"The  next  minute  confirmed  his  apprehension,  and 
found  the  open  space  filled  with  a  'flood'  of  fugitives, 
guns,  caissons,  ambulances,  and  everything  incidental  to 
an  army  in  mad  flight,  pell-mell  and  panic-stricken; 
while,  in  their  rear,  the  woods  were  alive  with  Confed- 
erates, firing  and  yelling  triumphantly,  and  by  note;  for 
it  seems  that  to  have  been  a  'good  yelling  regiment,'  on 
the  Confederate  side,  was  regarded  as  something  extra 
creditable ;  or,  at  all  events,  extra  reliable ! 

"Pleasanton  knew  that  with  such  a  deluge  of  victory 
surging  down  upon  his  little  command — for  he  had  only 
two  weak  regiments,  one  composed  of  raw,  recently- 
enrolled  troops — something  desperate  must  be  done. 
Every  moment  saved  was  of  incalculable  value;  every 
minute  more  precious  than  any  single  life — nay,  than 
hundreds  of  lives.  It  seemed  as  if  nothing  could  stem 
Jackson's  onslaught,  save  an  immense  shock  of  artillery. 
Without  a  force  of  infantry  corresponding  to  his,  a 
stunning  weight,  quickly-succeeding  volleys  of  shot, 
spherical-case,  and  canister — could  alone  avert  ruin.  To 
gather  up  and  post  the  batteries  he  had  instinctively 
clumped  together,  was  to  Pleasanton  the  work  of  a 
minute — more  properly  speaking — of  a  very,  very  few 
minutes.  But  even  that  short  space — shorter  than  the 
time  requisite  to  read  these  sentences — had  to  be 
wrenched,  torn — drenched  with  blood — from  the  enemy. 

"  'Major  Keenan,'  said  Pleasanton,  calmly  and  gently, 
but  decisivel}^,  as  he  always  speaks,  'you  must  charge  into 
those  woods  with  your  regiment,  and  hold  the  rebels 
until  I  can  get  some  of  these  guns  into  position.     You 


JACKSON'S  LAST  FIGHT  123 

must  do  it,  at  all  cost.'  It  was  Just  the  same  as  saying 
to  him,  what  Kleber  said  to  Schouardin,  '^you  must  be 
killed;'  and  Keenan,  understanding  it  in  this  light, 
replied  with  a  smile  on  his  face — a  smile,  although  he 
knew  he  was  going  to  almost  certain  death — 'General,  I 
will  do  it!' 

"With  less  than  two  hundred  cavalry.  Major  Keenan 
charged  Jackson's  thirty  thousand  victorious  veterans, 
just  as  Harry  Hidden,  with  seventeen  ISTew  York  Lincoln 
cavalry,  charged  a  mass  of  Confederate  infantry  at 
Sangsters  Station,  9th  March,  1S62,  and,  like  Keenan, 
died  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  by  his  death  'illus- 
trating o.ur  cavalry  service,  and  opening  for  it  a  new  era.' 

"With  the  brave  Keenan  fell  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
his  brave  men;  but  that  charge  saved  the  Union  army. 
In  another  moment  twenty-two  guns  stood  double-shotted 
and  ready  to  receive  the  enemy  that  treacherously  dis- 
played our  flag  to  avert  their  fire,  calling  out  to 
Lieutenant  (now  Colonel)  Clifford  Thomson,  sent 
forward  to  investigate,  'Come  on ;  we  are  friends !' 
Simultaneously,  the  whole  edge  of  the  woods  became 
ablaze  with  musketry,  and  believing  that  this  enveloping 
fire  had  shot  down  our  gunners,  the  hostile  swarms  burst 
forth  into  the  open  with  numerous  red  battle-flags, 
substituted  for  the  'Stars  and  Stripes'  they  had  so  cruelly 
used  as  a  decoy!  Thereupon  Pleasanton  shouted  the 
command  'fire!'  and  the  answering  explosions  actually 
swept  the  enemy's  masses  clear  away  from  the  spot.  As 
reported  by  one :  'That  fire  seemed  to  blow  those  men  in 
front  clear  (back)  over  the  parapet,'  beyond  which  they 
had  formed  for  their  charge. 

"No  man  has  ever  paid  sufficient  stress  upon  this 
turning  point  of  Chancellorsville,  nor  given  due  credit 
to  that  brigadier-general  of  cavalry,  who,  after  displaying 
consummate  tact  in  the  selection  of  a  position,  and  even 
greater  capacity  in  the  massing  and  handling  of  artillery, 
with  the  magical  influence  of  a  superlative  manhood, 
could  convert  a  few  hundred  raw  troopers  into  an 
impassable  barrier  of  human  determination,  and  by  a 


124  JOHX  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

single  will  hold  up  his  scanty  force,  like  a  wall,  in  that 
desperate  fight — not  of  minutes,  but  of  an  hour — convert- 
ing a  rout  into  the  equivalent  of  a  victory.  But,  under 
Pleasanton,  the  hero  of  that  supreme  hour  and  effort 
was  Peter  Keenan ;  and  Pennsylvania  owes  him  a  grander 
monument  than  any  the  State  has  yet  erected,  or 
contemplates  erecting.  The  Confederate  career  of  victory 
was  stayed ;  hut  that  night  was  to  witness  another  catas- 
trophe, more  fatal  to  their  cause  than  even  the  double- 
shotted  guns  of  Pleasanton. 

"The  fighting  had  ceased,  and  the  powder-smoke 
drifted  from  the  open  space  along  the  blood-stained 
Plank  Road.  This  scene  of  wild,  tumultuous,  sanguinary 
conflict,  of  flight,  charge,  counter-charge  and  storm,  of 
cannon-shot  and  canister,  had  subsided  into  quiet — the 
quiet  of  the  battlefield,  when  its  roar  is  succeeded  by  the 
less  stunning,  but  perhaps  more  appalling,  discord  of 
cries  from  the  still  living  and  mutilated  victims. 

"That  night — a  night  of  interrupted  skirmishing  and 
spasmodic  firing — the  scene  was  magnificent.  The 
moon  was  at  her  full,  and  showed  splendidly,  as  she 
coursed  through  thin,  scattered  clouds. 

"The  moonbeams  were  pouring  their  silvery  radiance 
through  the  partially  developed  foliage,  casting  long 
fantastic  shadows  across  the  corpse-stre-mi  openings  and 
glades,  when,  about  nine  o'clock  (according  to  one 
account,  but  most  likely  at  a  later  hour),  Stonewall 
Jackson  rode  out  to  reconnoitre,  and  by  a  personal 
examination  prepare  himself  to  deliver  another  similar 
shock  upon  our  line  on  the  ensuing  morning,  3d  May, 
as  that  cro^vned  with  success  at  the  sunset  of  the  2d. 

"It  was  the  last  sunset  he  was  ever  destined  to  behold. 
In  the  adjacent  works  lay  the  First  Massachusetts 
Infantry.  They  had  marked  the  approach  of  the  strange 
cavalcade,  and  with  true  aim  delivered  a  volley,  among 
many  others  la}T.ng  low  the  greatest  soldier  and  most 
brilliant  military  genius  that  gave  glory  to  the  Confed- 
erate cause  throughout  its  four  years'  brave  but  ill-starred 
struggle  for  the  subversion  of  the  Republic. 


JACKSON'S  LAST  FIGHT  125 

"The  Confederates  claim  that  their  own  bullets,  fired 
at  random,  cost  them  this  precious  sacrifice. 

"Whether  he  fell  by  the  bullets  of  his  own  men,  or  by 
the  balls  of  the  opposing  Unionists — as  is  much  more 
probable — it  matters  not.  The  result  was  of  incalculable 
advantage  to  the  latter.  Stonewall  Jackson's  infiuence 
as  a  power  was  annihilated.  There,  in  the  moonlit  glade 
of  that  mysterious  Wilderness,  just  bursting  into  leaf 
and  blossom,  the  leaves  and  flowers  of  his  own  great 
life  shriveled  and  died,  blasted  by  a  shattering  volley,  as 
unlooked-for  as  the  levin  bolt,  when  it  falls  from  a 
sudden  cloud  upon  some  overtowering  tree  that  has  long 
stood,  the  admiration  and  the  wonder  of  all  who  gazed 
upon  its  preeminent  grandeur. 

"In  this  first  fight  in  the  Wilderness,  Stonewall 
Jackson  proved  himself  all  that  his  panegyrists  claim 
for  him;  most  glorious  at  his  setting;  sinking  to  his 
rest  after  his  life-career,  short,  but  magnificent,  amid 
such  crimson  glories  as  seldom  dignify  the  close  of  a 
soldier's  life,  even  the  most  illustrious.  Far  superior  to 
Lee,  in  every  attribute  of  soldiersliip  and  manhood,  he 
never  descended  from  his  height  of  pride  until  the  grave, 
wet  with  the  tears  of  friends  and  glorified  with  the 
admiration  of  antagonists,  closed  over  him.  And  this, 
after  a  twenty  months'  campaign,  undiminished  by  the 
slightest  charge  of  failure  in  a  single  plan,  or  its  fast- 
following  execution." 


CHAPTEE  XL 

THE  CRUX  OF   CHANCELLORSVILLE 

"Just  as  the  manoeuvring  of  the  preceding  day, 
Saturday,  2d  May,  had  commenced  with  the  dawn,  even 
so  the  movements  of  the  Confederates  again  began  with 
the  daylight  of  Sunda}^,  the  3d.  These,  however, 
extended  over  a  much  larger  area  than  that  occupied  on 
the  2d. 

"Chancellorsville,  which  had  hitherto  been  a  single 
and  simple  battle,  as  regarded  Hooker,  was  on  this  day 
to  become  a  double  and  complex  conflict.  A  new  quan- 
tity was  to  enter  into  the  equation — the  dislocated  Union 
left  wing,  under  Sedgwick,  which  had  hitherto  been 
demonstrating  but  not  acting. 

"Although  no  commander  ever  displayed  better 
generalship  in  the  initiation  of  a  battle  than  Hooker, 
his  mind,  unfortunately,  seemed  to  bla^e  up  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy  very  much  like  accesses  of  an  intermittent 
fever.  Ever3i;hing,  prior  to  the  noon-hours  of  May  1st, 
had  been  well  ordered  and  promptly  executed,  and  his 
movements  on  that  day  were  as  grand  in  conception  as 
his  j)assage  of  the  Eappahannoek  river  had  been  brilliant 
in  plan  and  execution.  Then  came  that  almost  unintelli- 
gible collapse  of  energy;  and  his  aggressive,  which  had 
blossomed  and  was  already  in  the  process  of  fruition  into 
a  most  glorious  success,  degenerated  into  a  defensive, 
requiring  a  new  effort,  even  greater  than  the  original,  to 
produce  a  result  commensurate  with  what  the  marvellous 
growth  and  flowering  had  already  promised. 

"As  before  stated  in  this  criticism,  it  is  an  axiom  of 
war,  or  at  all  events,  the  opinion  of  the  majority — almost 
the  entirety  of  the  most  distinguished  commanders — that 
the  aggressive  has  within  itself  the  vital  principle  of 
success;    that    nothing    is    more    difficult    than    a    pure 

126 


THE  CRUX  OF  CHANCELLORSVILLE     137 

defensive;  and  nothing  more  depressing  than  the 
unnecessary  transition  from  a  spirited  offensive  into  a 
defensive^  inconsistent  with  the  desires  of  the  soldier  and 
his  aspirations  founded  on  a  magnificent  and  promising 
opening  of  hostilities.  This  last.  Hooker  was  realizing 
fast. 

"Expressing  the  consideration  of  chances  in  mathe- 
matical formula,  these  were  at  first  as  five,  and  very  soon 
as  three,  in  Hooker's  favor,  to  the  Confederates'  two. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  1st,  these  terms  were  reduced 
(as  far  as  regarded  the  main  army  under  Hooker  in 
person)  to  an  equality,  hy  the  order  to  yield  ground. 
Hooker  had  lost  the  impulse,  and  the  influence  of 
advance.  After  the  Eleventh  Corps  had  crumbled,  and 
Sedgwick  was,  thus  far,  not  up  to  time  (or  rather  behind 
time),  it  is  the  vsriter's  opinion  that,  if  there  was  then 
any  superiority  on  one  side  or  the  other,  it  was  with  the 
Confederates ;  because  they  knew  the  country  better,  were 
fighting  on  their  own  ground,  flushed  with  successes  on 
two  consecutive  days — 1st  and  2d  May. 

"The  night  of  the  2d  had  closed  upon  a  field  evenly 
balanced  as  to  chances.  Hooker's  lines  on  the  2d  had 
not  been  so  bad.  The  worst  feature  in  the  problem  lay 
in  the  fact,  that  he  had  assumed  the  defensive  after 
having  promised  a  vigorous  aggressive.  This  in  itself 
was  dispiriting. 

"Still,  on  this  evening  of  the  2d,  Hooker  seemed  all 
himself  again;  'fiaming  out  with  the  old  fire  of  battle,' 
he  had  thrown  'his  old  division,  the  darling  child  of  his 
creation,'  into  the  breach,  ancl  with  it,  led  by  Berry, 
stopped  it. 

"After  an  ineffectual  effort  on  the  part  of  Berry's 
division  of  the  Third  Corps  to  retake  the  position  lost 
by  Howard,  night  closed  over  the  scene,  and  during  the 
darkness  Hooker  retired  his  right  wing  and  established 
a  new  line  considerably  in  the  rear  of  the  original. 

"This  the  enemy,  deeply  affected  by  the  fall  of  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  had  not  greatly  impeded,  although  there 
was  considerable  figliting  throughout  the  whole  of  that 


128  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

moonlit  night,  which  was  bright  enough  to  permit  of 
manoeuvring,  and  even  sharp  skirmishing,  although  the 
weird  shadows  and  ghostly  hours  doubtless  gave  rise  to 
alarms  and  waste  volleys,  in  a  region  bewildering  enough, 
in  its  concealments  and  screens  for  unexpected  attacks, 
in  the  full  blaze  of  sunlight.  In  fact,  the  sun  could 
scarcely  illuminate  many  portions  of  the  tangled  'Wilder- 
ness,' whose  trees  and  jungle  were  woven  into  almost 
impassable  barriers  by  the  wild  vines,  which,  flowering 
and  thorny,  wattled  and  bound  together  the  upright 
trunks  of  the  trees.  This  is  no  imaginary  picture,  but 
one  borne  out  by  the  testimony  of  our  generals. 

"Orders  had  been  dispatched  to  Sedgwick,  about  the 
time  of  Howard's  disaster,  to  throw  his  force  across  the 
Eappahannock,  in  front  of  Fredericksburg,  at  9  P.  M. ; 
and  soon  after  more  decisive  orders  were  sent,  which 
have  all  the  ring  of  Hooker's  pristine  energy.  On  the 
heels  of  these  orders,  again,  Warren,  the  senior  engineer 
present,  himself  one  of  the  most  discerning,  promising 
and  capable  officers  of  our  army,  followed,  with  renewed 
directions,  to  spur  Sedgwick  into  instant  and  vigorous 
attack.  Then,  'during  the  night,'  Paine  'carried  an 
order  (in  another  direction)  to  Major-General  Eeynolds, 
to  advance  with  the  First  Corps,'  which  as  yet  had  not 
crossed  the  Eappahannock  on  our  right,  and,  conse- 
quently had  not  been  brought  into  line. 

"The  morning  of  Sunday,  the  3d,  dawned  upon  a  new 
and  strongly  intrenched  line  of  battle,  presenting,  as  a 
whole,  an  irregular,  angular  outline.  It  commenced  near 
the  Eapid  Anna;  thence  ran  southward,  along  a  ridge, 
inclosing  Fairview  Cemetery — about  half  a  mile  west  of 
Chancellorsville,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of  Dowdall's 
Tavern  (Melzi  Chancellor's),  on  the  turnpike,  where 
Howard  had  his  headquarters  on  the  2d.  Thence  the 
line  continued  on,  along  commanding  heights,  to  the 
elevated  plateau,  from  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  west- 
southwest  of  Hooker's  headquarters,  near  Hazel  Grove. 

"This,  the  key,  salient,  or  apex  of  the  new  dispositions, 
was  held  by  Sickles — Sicldes,  destined,  within  two  months 


THE  CRUX  OP  CHANCELLOESVILLE     129 

(2  July),  to  lose  his  leg  in  endeavoring  to  hold  another 
similar  salient,  by  his  resolute  defense  to  determine  the 
field,  and,  by  his  tenacity,  remotely,  to  decide  the  result 
of  Gettysburg.  The  ridge  at  Hazel  Grove  presented  a 
strong  position,  but  not  near  as  good  as  that  of  Talley's, 
which  had  been  lost — one  might  almost  say  given  up — on 
the  preceding  evening. 

"Thence  the  line,  not  so  good,  but  still  highly 
defensible,  bent  eastwards  across  the  plank  road  to  the 
old  turnpike.  This  portion  the  sharp  and  astute  Slocum 
(Twelfth  Corps)  occupied.  ISText  to  him  came  the  First 
Division,  under  the  brilliant  Hancock,  of  the  Second 
Corps.  The  left,  facing  Fredericksburg,  was  assigned 
to  Meade  (Fifth  Corps) ;  and  what  remained  available  of 
the  Eleventh  Corps  (which,  on  the  2d,  had  been  posted 
in  full  force  upon  the  right),  now  filled  out  the  extreme 
left,  resting  upon  the  Eappahannock,  two  and  a  half 
miles  south-southeast  of  the  junction  of  the  Rapid  Anna. 
Along  this  front,  of  over  iour  miles  on  either  side,  our 
engineer  corps,  some  four  thousand  strong,  had  labored 
vigilantly  and  vigorously  to  complete  a  series  of  works; 
and  extensive  stretches  of  abatis  rendered  the  approaches 
extremely  diflScult. 

"The  principal  difficulty  of  Hooker  in  the  battle  of 
Sunday,  May  3d,  was  his  want  of  ground  on  which  to 
manoeuvre  his  forces  and  to  feed  the  fight  along  the 
front  with  fresh  troops.  His  original  line  was  in  the 
form  of  an  obtuse  equilateral  triangle,  one  leg  resting 
on  the  Rappahannock  at  Bank's  Ford,  composing  his  left 
wing,  and  the  other  resting  on  Hunting  Creek,  a  small 
affluent  of  the  Rapidan,  and  both  wings  having 
Chancellorsville  for  an  apex  and  the  headquarters  of  the 
general  commanding. 

"By  the  changes  of  Saturday  night  this  obtuse  angle 
became  acute;  the  country  was,  for  the  most  part, 
densely  wooded,  and  the  Rebel  batteries  were  now  so 
placed  as  to  throw  a  heavy  enfilading  fire  upon  any 
columns  that  might  advance  in  an  offensive  movement. 
The  reenforcing  corps  that  had  come  across  the  river 

9 


130  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

had  no  ground  upon  wliich  it  could  successfully  take 
position.  On  account  of  this  change,  made  necessary  by 
the  loss  of  the  position  held  by  Howard,  the  movements 
of  the  day  following,  when  Lee  made  his  attack  at 
Chancellorsville,  were  greatly  embarrassed. 

"The  apex  of  the  triangle,  held  by  Sickles  and  Slocum, 
was  entirely  enveloped,  and  menaced  from  every  direc- 
tion, by  the  new  Confederate  formations,  which  lapped 
scarcely  any  other  troops,  except  a  small  portion  of  the 
Second  Corps  under  Hancock. 

"On  Sunday,  the  Confederate  batteries  were  disposed 
exactly  as  if  they  had  been  engaged  in  breaching  the 
salient  of  a  bastion;  and  the  enemy's  troops  moved  to 
the  attack  as  if  storming  the  consequent  breach.  Mean- 
while, other  batteries  were  enfilading  the  prolongation  of 
the  lines  of  defense,  or  crossing  their  fire  upon  the 
interior  posts.  The  relinquishment  of  our  advanced 
position  at  Hazel  Grove  was  identical  with  the  abandon- 
ing of  an  outer  work  and  the  withdrawal  of  its  garrison 
within  an  inner  line.  In  a  word,  Lee  was  besieging 
Hooker;  and,  when  the  latter  retired  back  across  the 
river,  it  was  equivalent  to  the  evacuation  of  a  bridge-head, 
extensive  enough  to  shelter  an  army. 

"Having  thus  endeavored  to  exhibit  the  condition  of 
affairs  around  Chancellorsville,  on  the  morning  of  the 
3d,  it  becomes  necessary  to  transfer  the  reader's  atten- 
tion— temporarily  and  only  cursorily  for  the  present — to 
the  Sixth  Corps,  under  Sedgwick. 

"On  Saturday  night  the  commanding  general,  aware 
of  the  disadvantage  under  which  he  must  labor  on  the 
following  day,  dispatched  positive  orders  to  General 
Sedgwick  to  advance  on  Fredericksburgh,  carry  the 
enemy's  works  near  that  place,  and  march  on  Lee's  rear, 
thus  relieving  Hooker  from  the  embarrassment  into 
which  the  loss  of  the  position  of  the  Eleventh  Corps  had 
thrown  him.  The  Eebel  force  at  Fredericksburgh,  on 
Sunday,  was  very  small,  Lee  having  withdrawn  almost 
everj-thing  for  the  main  attack  on  Hooker.  The  whole 
force  with  Sedgwick,  on  Sunday,  was  over  24,500  to 


THE  CEUX  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     131 

28^500,  and  it  was  thought  that  he  could,  with  ease, 
crush  the  shell  left  by  Lee  in  the  lines  at  Fredericks- 
burgh,  and  advance  so  as  to  render  Hooker  material  aid 
during  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  the  3d. 

"Towards  midnight,  2d-3d  May,  Sedgwick — who  had 
previously  crossed  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Eappahan- 
nock — advanced  upon  Fredericksburg,  in  obedience  to 
orders  dispatched  to  Mm  by  Hooker,  after  the  Eleventh 
Corps  had  crumbled.  This  movement  should  have  been 
made  at  least  twenty  hours  sooner — at  the  very  instant 
Lee  attacked  the  advance  of  Slocum  and  Meade  that  was 
promising  a  glorious  result. 

"The  first  delay  cannot  be  charged  to  the  subordinate, 
however  much  subsequently  it  may  lie  wholly  at  his  door. 
Much  valuable  time — inestimable  as  it  proved — had  been 
lost ;  but  this,  as  yet,  was  not  Ms  fault.  There  was  still 
ample  time  and  opportunity  for  him  to  have  rendered 
vital  cooperation.  Henceforward,  the  responsibility  of 
all  that  occurred,  to  the  prejudice  of  Hooker,  rests  upon 
him. 

"That  he  was  slow,  and  unequal  to  all  the  important 
duty  assigned  to  him,  is  demonstrated  by  the  manner  in 
which  he  performed  it,  and  by  the  result — even  more 
fatal  than  the  consequences  that  flowed  from  the  scooping 
out  of  the  Eleventh  Corps  through  the  misconception  of 
Howard. 

"Hooker  claims  that  if  Sedgwick  -had  pushed  ahead 
(partly  on  the  river  road?),  or  had  held  Taylor's  Hill, 
covering  Bank's  Ford,  he  could  have  re-crossed,  reunited 
his  forces,  and  wMpped  Lee,  even  after  his  failure  to 
do  so  higher  up  the  river. 

"Although  the  night  of  2d-3d  May  was  lit  up  by  a 
bright  and  unobscured  moon,  which  rendered  it  almost 
as  well  adapted  to  necessary  movements  as  the  day,  and 
although  the  distance  to  be  covered  was  less  than  two 
miles,  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  hours  elapsed  before  the 
Heights  of  Fredericksburg  were  carried.  TMs,  too,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  force  that  could  have  been 
directed  against  them  ranged  from  twenty-two  to  twenty- 


132  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

eight  thousand  men,  while  the  force  opposed,  numbering 
from  eight  to  ten  thousand,  had  to  defend  a  line  of  six 
miles,  if  the  plans  of  the  Confederate  historians  are 
correct.  What  is  more,  and  corroborative  of  the  justice 
of  a  severe  criticism  of  Sedgwick,  the  matter  was  quickly 
decided  after  it  was  taken  resolutely  in  hand,  about 
11  A.  M.,  3d  May. 

"In  about  one  hour  of  resolute  work,  Howe  and  his 
compeers  had  solved  this  hitherto  ugly  problem,  which 
brings  matters  on  the  left  down  to  midday  on  the  3d  of 
May. 

"The  distance  from  Fredericksburgh  to  Chancellors- 
ville  is  eleven  miles,  and  Sedgwick  received  orders  to 
advance  on  Saturday  night  or  early  Sunday  morning. 
Yet  it  was  eleven  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning  before  he 
attacked  the  enemy's  lines  at  Fredericksburgh,  and,  after 
carrying  them  with  ease,  instead  of  moving  vigorously  in 
Lee's  rear,  as  was  expected,  and  forcing  him  upon  the 
road  on  which  Jackson  had  moved  on  Saturday  morning, 
Sedgwick  advanced  leisurely  along  the  plank-road  leading 
west  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  had  proceeded  but  three 
miles  when  night  overtook  him. 

"Sedgwick  was  to  have  cooperated  on  the  evening  of 
the  2d;  certainly  during  the  night  of  the  2d-3d;  or  at 
dawn  on  the  3d.  Consider  Howe's  language — it  is  clear 
and  very  pointed:  'If  this  movement  had  been  made 
promptly,  under  cover  of  night,  with  the  force  which 
we  had,  we  could  have  taken  those  heights,  as  I  believe, 
with  little  loss,  and  in  but  little  time.  We  would  have 
taken  them  by  surprise,  and  then  the  way  would  have 
been  open  to  have  gone  immediately  on  towards 
Chancellorsville  to  General  Hooker's  assistance.' 

"It  was  nearly  3  P.  M.,  five  hours  after  Hooker  had 
been  driven  from  his  works  at  Chancellorsville,  when  the 
Sixth  Corps  moved  out  in  this  order  on  the  plank  road. 

"Meanwhile,  momentous  events  had  been  occurring  in 
the  Wilderness. 

"Early  on  Sunday  morning.  Sickle's  front,  the  apex  or 
salient  of  the  Union  Hne,  was  fiercely  attacked  by  the 


THE  CEUX  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     133 

Confederates,  according  to  their  wont,  in  successive  lines. 
Furious  as  were  the  onslaughts,  they  were  met  by- 
resistance  no  less  fiery  in  its  determination.  Indeed, 
the  weight  of  the  battle  fell  on  this  point,  and  the 
resistance  was  worthy  the  assault.  On  this  day  Sickles 
was  severely  injured  in  repulsing,  or  checking,  the  enemy ; 
and  Maine's  grand  volunteer  representative,  Berry — the 
noble  Berry — fell  in  a  charge  worthy  any  of  the  most 
loudly  trumpeted  efforts  of  modern  war. 

"In  this  action  of  Sunday  morning,  the  3d  May,  the 
Twelfth,  a  part  of  the  Second  and  Third,  and  a  small 
part  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  were  engaged.  The  Eleventh, 
the  First,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  Fifth,  were  not 
under  fire  that  day,  because  they  could  not  be  brought 
into  action  except  at  great  disadvantage,  and  with  losses 
that  would  not  be  compensated  by  any  favorable  results 
likely  to  be  reached. 

"Again  and  again  did  Sickles  send  to  Hooker,  asking 
for  reenforcements.  They  did  not  come.  Then,  about 
8  to  9  o'clock  A.  M.,  Major  H.  Edwin  Tremaine,  senior- 
aide  to  General  Sickles,  bore  to  Hooker  his  last  and  most 
urgent  appeal  for  support — a  support  indispensable, 
since  the  last  reserves  at  the  disposition  of  Sickles  had 
been  put  into  position.  When  Tremaine  reached  the 
well-riddled  Chancellorsville  House — afterwards  destroyed 
and  converted  into  a  pile  of  ruins — he  found  Hooker  on 
the  porch. 

"There  he  stood  on  that  porch  or  piazza,  grand,  as  he 
always  was  in  action,  the  very  type  of  a  brave,  intelligent, 
and  elegant  officer.  One  hand,  his  right,  upraised,  was 
pressed  against  a  column,  relieving  his  weight.  The 
other  rested  upon  the  rail,  or  balustrade,  between  the 
pillars.  Having  dismounted,  Tremaine  advanced,  and 
was  in  the  act  of  reaching  upward  the  communication, 
of  which  he  was  the  bearer,  and  Hooker  was  bending 
down  to  take  it,  when  a  heavy  missile — a  twelve-pounder 
solid  shot,  it  is  said — struck  the  column  against  which 
Hooker  was  leaning,  tore  it  from  its  base,  dashed  it 
against   his    chest    and    head,    and    struck    him    down, 


134  JOHX  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

apparently  lifeless.  Well  might  Tremaine,  in  relating 
the  catastrophe,  dilate  with  horror  upon  his  feeling  at 
that  moment. 

'*'It  would  have  been  terrible  enough,  at  any  time,  to 
see  his  commander-in-chief  thus  smitten  down  before  his 
eyes,  and  at  Ms  very  feet;  but,  at  that  supreme  moment, 
the  awful  consequences  of  this  disabling  of  the  directing 
mind  and  central  source  of  power  was  a  still  heavier 
shock  to  the  comprehensive  mind  of  the  able  and  experi- 
enced aide-de-camp.  He  says  the  result  (that  result,  the 
compulsory  abandonment  of  another  key-point — a 
dreadful  necessity,  when,  west  and  east,  to  right  and  left, 
disaster  and  delay  had  already  lost  so  much)  was  the 
crisis. 

'•The  concussion  which  felled  Hooker  senseless  has 
never  received  due  weight  from  the  pen  of  any  historian, 
as  affecting  the  final  result  of  the  battle.  It  paralyzed 
the  Union  efforts,  just  as  it  ultimately  eventuated  in  the 
paralysis  of  Hooker  himself.  Had  Hooker  remained 
unliurt  but  for  a  few  moments  longer,  it  is  but  equitable 
to  believe  that  he  would  have  dispatched  tlie  reenforce- 
ments  to  Sickles  demanded  by  the  latter.  Had  these 
been  promptly  furnished,  it  is  the  opinion  of  that  corps 
commander  and  other  able  officers,  as  well  as  of  an 
honest  historian  (Greeley.  II,  361  [1]),  they  would  have 
retrieved  the  fortunes  of  the  conflict. 

"That  which  Hooker,  senseless,  could  not.  Couch,  next 
in  rank,  did  not  do. 

'•'At  the  very  moment  that  it  required  almost  super- 
human energy  to  retrieve  affairs,  Hooker  was  wanting. 
His  complete  disabling  literally  left  our  army  without  a 
head;  and  there  was  no  Bernard  or  Saxe  Weimar  there, 
as  at  Lutzen,  who  could  replace  a  slain  Gustavus,  and 
wrest  victory  from  disaster.  Frederick,  struck  down  at 
Torgau,  arose  to  find  ever}i;liing  had  gone  on  as  well 
as  if  he  had  not  swooned.  Joubert,  shot  through  the 
heart  at  Xovi,  had  a  successor  in  Moreau,  perhaps  more 
worthy  the  supreme  command  than  the  superior  whose 
gallant  breast  received  the  fatal  bullet. 


THE  CRUX  OF  CHAXCELLOESVILLE     135 

"And,  to  cite  an  incident  of  onr  own  great  war,  when 
Kearny  fell,  a  Birney  stepped  into  the  vacant  place  and 
maintained  what  had  been  won,  preserring  the  line  of 
retreat  for  the  sorely  tried  Army  of  Xorthem  Virginia. 

"On  the  contrary,  as  at  Shiloh,  after  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston  succumbed,  a  precious  half  hour  was  lost.  Like 
Beauregard,  Couch  was  not  up  to  the  occasion ;  and  when 
Hooker  came  to  himself,  the  balance  had  declined  too  far 
in  favor  of  the  enemy  for  any  weight  of  generalship,  that 
he,  in  his  half-stunned  condition,  could  throw  into  the 
scale,  to  restore  the  equilibrium  or  depress  it  in  favor 
of  the  Union  arms. 

"iSTotwithstanding  the  fact  that  Hooker  was  thus 
smitten  down  at  the  crisis  of  the  engagement,  this  catas- 
trophe has  never  been  brought  forward  by  his  critics 
to  alleviate  the  censure  heaped  upon  him.  Xor  do  they 
even  seek  to  discover  and  develop  how  far  the  disobedi- 
ence, shortcomings,  or  errors  of  others  affected  his  grand 
plan,  or  how  far  his  contusion  neutralized  the  process 
of  remedies. 

"Any  one  animated  by  a  sense  of  justice,  who  will 
closely  examine  the  sworn  testimony  of  the  generals, 
taken  down  before  the  Committee  of  Congress,  must  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  Hooker  never  was  himself  again 
during  the  remaining  three  days,  through  which  the 
fighting  at  Chancellorsville  continued.  To  an  impartial 
mind  the  evidence  is  conclusive,  that  Hooker  never 
rallied  from  the  shock. 

"In  the  course  of  tliis  eventful  day,  one  of  those 
episodes  in  war  occurred,  which  increase  tenfold  its 
horrors. 

"The  severest  fighting  had  been  in  the  dense  woods, 
and  the  ground  was  carpeted  with  the  fallen  foliage  of 
half  a  century — ^iti  places,  perhaps,  of  centuries — the 
aromatic  and  inflammable  spines  of  the  terebinthine 
evergreens  of  the  region,  wiiich  are  exported  to  produce 
the  quickest  and  hottest  fire.  The  surface  was  also 
thickly  strewn  with  brush,  dry  branches  wrenched  off  by 
the  wind,  and  twigs  cHpped  by  bullets,  as  well  as  great 


136  JOHN  WATTS  DB  PEYSTER 

limbs  and  whole  trees,  shattered  and  thrown  down  by 
shot  or  shell. 

"The  fighting  had  ceased,  and  comparative  tranquility 
succeeded — that  is,  tranquility  as  to  the  roar  of  battle, 
but  no  quiet,  except  by  comparison;  for,  from  that 
labyrinthine  Wilderness,  welled  out  the  cries  and  groans, 
and  often  agonized  shrieks,  of  the  wounded  and  dying. 
All  at  once,  columns  of  dense  smoke  arose;  and  spirts 
or  snapping  tongues  of  spiteful  flame  shot  up  above  the 
trees,  and  rolled  along  in  billowy  surges  of  consuming 
fire  and  sufl^ocating  smoke  commingled. 

"The  woods,  crowded  with  wounded,  were  all  ablaze ! 
No  one  who  has  not  seen  a  forest  or  jungle,  wrapt  in 
flames,  can  imagine  the  rapid  development  of  the  con- 
flagration, the  intensity  of  the  transient  heat,  or  the 
stifling  nature  of  the  smoke.  Thus  many  wounded,  of 
both  armies,  within  a  short  distance  of  help,  but  yet 
beyond  its  reach,  perished  by  the  most  dreadful  deaths, 
between  the  two  hosts,  whose  eyes,  ears,  and  bosoms  were 
harrowed  by  this  pitiable  fate  of  friends  or  comrades, 
which  they  could  do  nothing  to  alleviate. 

"And  all  the  while,  in  the  adjacent  woods,  birds  in  gay 
plumage  were  sporting  amid  the  fragrant  blossoms,  and 
singing  upon  the  branches  of  the  trees  that  spring  had 
just  reclothed  with  verdure,  while  'braves'  were  burning 
alive,  and  heroes  perishing  in  the  embrace  of  a  fiend, 
in  tortures  excruciating  as  those  of  the  fabled  Nessus ! 

"This  fire  occasioned  a  lull  in  the  fight,  for  nothing 
living  could  pass  through  the  flaming  barrier. 

"Midday,  Sunday,  3d  May,  was  the  turning  point  or 
crisis  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  This  was  the 
time  when  the  salient  of  Hooker's  main  line  crumbled, 
through  the  failure  of  adequate  supports,  which  Hooker, 
senseless,  was  in  no  condition  to  furnish,  and  when 
Sedgwick,  on  the  high  ground  between  the  heights  of 
Fredericksburg  and  the  cleared  plateau  of  Salem  Church, 
was  repeating  Hooker's  great  error — that  of  ceasing  to 
advance. 

"Having  compelled  the  Union  forces  to  assume  a  new 


THE  CEUX  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     137 

line,  and  felt  or  menaced  it  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  its  extent,  Lee  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  could 
safely  turn  his  whole  attention  to  Sedgwick,  who  had 
become,  and  was,  for  the  time  being,  his  most  redoubtable 
adversary. 

"Over  one-third  of  the  distance  between  Fredericks- 
burg and  Chancellorsville,  Sedgwick,  pausing,  broke  the 
charm  of  his  successful  storming  of  the  heights,  and,  in 
consequence,  a  little  farther  on,  found  his  aggressive 
converted  into  a  defensive,  and  then  into  a  retreat. 

"About  3  P.  M.  Sedgwick  formed  his  line  of  battle  at 
the  blacksmith  shop  and  old  toll  gate,  on  the  compara- 
tively clear  and  elevated  plateau  drained  by  Colin  Run, 
which  falls  into  the  Eappahannock  about  as  far  above 
the  sharp  elbow — directly  north  of  Salem  Church — as 
Bank's  Ford  lies  below  it.  The  writer  has  visited  the 
ground,  and  can  say  that,  for  Virginia,  it  is  quite  a 
respectable  battlefield.  This  was  the  farthest  point 
attained  by  the  Sixth  Corps  as  a  body — four  miles  from 
Fredericksburg,  but  still  six  short  of  the  point  where 
their  presence  was  a  necessity. 

"Having  crushed  in  the  convex  of  the  "Union  line,  and 
reorganized  his  dislocated  commands,  Lee  detached 
Anderson  and  McLaws  with  their  divisions  to  encounter 
the  Sixth  Corps.  The  result  was  that,  when  Sedgwick 
formed  his  line  of  battle,  at  the  old  toll  gate,  or  black- 
smith shop,  he  had  in  his  front  a  Confederate  force 
fully  equal  to  his  own  commanded  by  some  of  the  best 
leaders  and  hardest  fighters  under  the  Confederate 
banners.  Indeed,  the  extreme  left  was  under  that  little 
Mahone,  who,  if  a  light  weight,  was  one  of  the  hardest 
hitters  that  ever  struck  at  any  portion  of  the  Union 
army. 

"Early  turned  Sedgwick's  left  as  completely,  on  the 
morning  of  the  4th  May,  as  his  mortally  wounded 
superior  had  turned  the  right  of  Hooker  on  the  afternoon 
of  the  2d  May.  But  what  a  contrast  is  presented  by 
the  reception  which  he  experienced  at  the  hands  of  the 
White  Cross  Division  of  the  Sixth  Corps,  to  that  which 


138  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Jackson  met  with  from  those  who  wore  the  red  crescent ! 

"As  Early  stole  round  Sedgwick's  flank,  Howe 
changed  front  to  meet  him,  until  Sedgwick  actually 
presented  to  the  enemy  a  line  of  battle — three  sides  of 
a  square,  with  the  corners  rounded  off — almost  identical 
in  formation  with  that  of  Hooker,  with  both  flanks 
resting  on  the  river;  Early,  facing  towards  Chancellors- 
ville,  fronting  in  the  same  direction  that  Sedgwick  had 
done  on  the  previous  day,  and  Howe,  facing  towards 
Fredericksburg,  upon  the  very  range  of  heights,  although 
farther  to  the  left  or  north,  which  he  had  been  so 
gallantly  called  upon  to  storm  on  the  preceding 
(]\Ionday)  morning,  3d  May.  In  fact,  at  this  juncture, 
both  Sedgwick's  and  Hooker's  formations  closely 
resembled  pan-coupe  bridge-heads,  from  six  to  seven 
miles  apart,  built  of  living  stones  or  clay,  not  inert 
materials,  to  protect  two  different  crossings  of  the 
Eappahannock. 

"Sedgwick  occupied  a  very  strong  position.  That  he 
did  not  hold  it  against  forces  perhaps  a  little  superior — 
most  likely  equal,  certainly  not  much  inferior — ^in 
numbers,  is  inexplicable.  That  he  should  have  held  it, 
is  the  decided  opinion  of  his  subordinate,  who  defended 
the  flank  assigned  to  liim — defended  it  successfully,  until 
left  without  support,  and  even  then  only  yielded  it  when 
commanded  to  withdraw. 

"Leaving  out  of  this  consideration  the  question 
whether  or  no  he  acted  with  alacrity,  had  he  imitated 
Stonewall  Jackson  or  Jubal  Early,  he  would  have  flanked 
and  turned  the  latter,  or  ground  him  into  pieces  between 
Howe  and  Gibbon.  In  the  first  instance,  having  two 
to  one  in  that  quarter,  he  should  have  captured  or 
destroyed  the  forces  opposed  to  him,  between  Marye's 
Heights  and  Taylor's  Hill,  to  the  west,  and  the  Rappa- 
hannock, to  the  east. 

"Having  thrown  away  or  lost  the  opportunity — for 
even  admitting  that  he  had  lost  five  thousand  men,  he 
still  confronted  the  Confederates  with  numbers  and  men 
equal    to    those    they    brought    against    him — Sedgwick 


THE  CEUX  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     139 

recrossed  the  river.  There  had  still  remained  for  Hooker 
one  tactical  expedient;  that  was  for  Sedgwick  to  hold 
his  position  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  at  Bank's 
Ford,  nntil  the  First,  Eleventh,  and  Fifth  Corps  could 
cross  at  the  United  States  Ford,  march  down,  and, 
uniting  with  the  Sixth,  form  a  force  that  could  effec- 
tually interpose  between  Lee  and  Fredericksburgh,  and 
have  at  least  forty  miles  the  advantage  in  the  march  for 
Eichmond. 

"But  Sedgwick  had  crossed  to  the  north  of  the  river 
before  the  necessary  orders  to  the  contrary  had  reached 
him. 

"If  Sedgwick  had  held  the  ground  he  occupied  on  the 
4th  May,  Hooker  could  have  retired  across  the  Eappa- 
hannock,  marched  down  the  left  or  north  bank  of  that 
river,  recrossed  it  at  Bank's  Ford,  and  have  renewed  the 
battle  on  the  most  favorable  conditions  in  a  comparatively 
cleared  country. 

"Every  one  seems  to  delight  in  blaming  Hooker, 
excusing  every  one  who  failed  him,  especially  Sedgwick. 
If  the  critic  will  divest  himself  of  prejudice  and  partial- 
ity, study  facts,  and  the  ground,  he  must  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  if  Sedgwick  was  a  general  capable  of 
appreciating  the  advantages  of  a  position,  he  should 
never  have  fallen  back  across  the  river,  while  Howe  was 
holding  his  own  with  such  tenacity  and  success.  And  if 
Hooker  made  no  other  remark,  which  was  Just  and  true, 
he  was  perfectly  correct  in  the  following,  that  Sedgwick, 
on  the  4th  May,  held  'really  the  key  to  all  of  the  enemy's 
defences  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city,'  (Fredericksburg), 
'a  position  that  a  corps  could  defend  against  an  army,' 
(E.  C.  C.  W.,  1865,  1,  133). 

"Howe  (21)  corroborates  this,  when  he  declares  that 
'near  dark  we  had  completely  repulsed'  the  Eebels  on 
the  4th  May,  and,  'entirely  broken,'  they  'fell  back  in  a 
rout.'  Howe  adds:  'After  this  repulse,  the  position  of 
the  Sixth  Corps,  in  my  judgment,  was  less  liable  to  a 
serious  attack  than  it  had  been  at  any  time  before,  since 
the    Sixth    Corps   crossed   the   Eappahannock,'    and   he 


140  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PBYSTER 

testifies:  'I  saw  no  occasion  or  necessity  for  recrossing 
the  river.' 

"On  the  night  of  the  4th  May,  Hooker  called  his  corps 
commanders  together  to  determine  whether  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  should  resume  the  aggressive — a  vigorous 
aggressive — or  yield  the  position  to  the  enemy  and  return 
across  the  Rappahannock  to  their  original  position.  The 
only  one  in  favor  of  the  former  proposition  was  General 
Howard.  To  whatever  motive  the  harsh  critic  may 
attribute  his  decision,  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  the 
writer  to  renew  the  record  that  Howard  was  desirous  of 
attacking  the  enemy.  The  same  was  his  opinion,  be  it 
said  in  his  honor,  two  months  afterward  at  Williamsport. 
How  muchsoever  he  erred  in  judgment,  in  gallantry  he 
always  stood  foremost  and  the  grandest.  Meade's  vote, 
according  to  Hooker,  Sickles,  and  Howard,  was  a  peculiar 
one.  He  was  for  an  advance,  for  the  reason  that  'he 
did  not  believe  we  could  recross  the  river  in  the  presence 
of  the  enemy.' 

"The  result  .  was  the  resolution  to  recross  the 
Eappahannock. 

"The  next  day,  5th  May,  a  new  and  shorter  line  of 
defence,  'a  continuous  cover  and  abatis  was  constructed 
(E.  C.  C.  W.  1865,  1,  60),  from  the  Eappahannock,  at 
Scott's  Dam,  around  the  mouth  of  the  Hunting  Eun  (or 
Creek),  on  the  Eapidan,  a  distance  of  three  miles.' 

'Within  these  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  retired.  It 
would  seem,  from  Hooker's  own  language,  that  this  line 
was  not  tenable.  Exposed  in  front  to  musketry,  in 
advantageous  positions,  it  could  be  enfiladed  by  the  rebel 
artillery  on  commanding  ridges.  Each  line,  successively 
abandoned,  had  been  worse  and  worse  for  the  Union  Army. 

"The  writer  well  remembers  the  attention  with  which 
he  followed  every  report  from  the  scene  of  action,  and 
caught  at  every  sign  of  renewed  hope  in  the  extracts 
issued  by  the  ISTew  York  press.  From  the  very  first  his 
chief  dread  was  the  setting  in  of  a  severe  rain  storm, 
which  almost  invariably  seemed  to  accompany  the  move- 
ments of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 


THE  CEUX  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE     141 

"Heavy  rain  always  made  our  generals  over-nervous  in 
regard  to  their  communications  and  sources  of  supply. 
This  was  the  effect  of  academical  teachings,  as  yet 
uncorrected  by  practical  experience.  This  made  them  so 
anxious,  in  these  respects,  that  it  distracted  their  atten- 
tion from  the  enemy's  movements  in  front,  and  thus  gave 
the  Eebels  an  advantage  of  which  they  never  failed  to 
avail  themselves.  Then,  at  such  junctures,  the  Eebels 
concentrated  all  their  thoughts  and  efforts  on  the  aggres- 
sive, which  was  too  often  met  by  only  a  half-willed 
defensive,  attributable  to  indecision  in  the  commanders, 
rather  than  irresolution  in  the  commanded. 

"One  morning,  about  daylight,  about  the  time  Hooker 
recrossed  the  Eappahannock,  the  writer  was  awakened,  to 
examine  a  newspaper,  showing  the  final  distribution  of 
our  troops  in  the  acute  triangle,  whose  apex  (at  three 
P.  M.)  was  at  the  Bullock,  or  White  House,  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  north  by  east  pf  Chancellorsville 
House,  a  disposition  exterior  to  the  final  line  of  cover. 
No  sooner  had  the  eye  rested  upon  the  map  than  he 
turned  over  to  sleep  again,  all  his  prognostics  verified, 
with  the  remark:  'It  is  all  up  with  Hooker.  Just  the 
position  of  Napoleon  at  Waterloo,  after  the  Prussians 
had  driven  back  his  (the  French)  right,  and  were 
menacing  his  line  of  retreat,'  so  that  their  (the  Prussian) 
batteries,  answering  the  British,  were  delivering  an  almost 
complete  cross-fire,  about  equivalent  to  enfilading  both 
his  lines. 

"In  the  state  of  feeling  existing  among  many,  it  was 
fortunate  perhaps  that  the  Eebels  had  neither  the  will 
nor  the  ability  to  pursue.  Their  authorities  attribute 
their  slackness  to  the  same  storm  which  is  so  generally 
received  as  the  reason  which  induced  Hooker  to  withdraw. 

"The  Eebels  had  indeed  exhausted  themselves,  and  as 
cautious  Warren  remarked,  'I  expect  they  were  very  glad 
to  get  rid  of  us.' 

"Chancellorsville  realized  the  truth  of  one  of  Lincoln's 
'little  stories,'  illustrative  of  the  campaign  of  the  previous 
year.     He  instanced  a  Western  fight,  in  which  a  nominal 


142  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

victor  left  his  antagonist  terribly  bruised  and  beaten, 
weltering  in  his  blood  upon  the  scene  of  collision.  When 
his  friends  approached  to  console  the  prostrate  man,  he 
said  they  need  not  concern  themselves  much  about  him; 
he  would  be  all  right  in  a  few  days;  but  he  guessed  his 
opponent  would  have  life-long  cause  to  remember  the 
fight,  for  he  had  his  eyes  in  his  pocket.  The  Eebel  army 
was  about  in  the  position  of  the  victor  in  Lincoln's  story. 

"Hooker's  return  across  the  Eappahannock  is  one  of 
those  movements  of  our  war  which  has  never  been  satis- 
factorily explained.  It  has  been  intimated  that  it  waa 
based,  in  a  measure,  upon  political  motives,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  perhaps,  motives  of  policy. 

"It  is  well  known  that  many  of  the  Austrian  half- 
victories  and  half-defeats  were  due  to  the  policy  of  always 
withdrawing  from  a  field,  still  doubtful,  before  the 
army  was  fought  out,  for  fear  of  risking  too  much,  or 
jeopardizing  the  integrity  of  the  army,  and  in  the  hope 
of  contesting  the  matter  on  another  day,  upon  another 
field.  The  Eebels  never  seem  to  have  been  actuated  by 
such  reasoning,  except  at  Gettysburg;  on  the  contrary, 
the  Union  commanders  too  often  felt  thus." 


I 


CHAPTEE  XLI 

THE  FEUITS  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE 

"Such  was  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  considered  as 
a  strategical  combination.  Up  to  Thursday  evening,  30 
April,  all  the  Federal  movements  had  been  planned  with 
skill  and  prosecuted  with  vigor.  The  disaster  which 
followed,  on  Saturday,  was  owing  in  part  to  the  obscure 
topography  of  the  region  towards  which  the  Federal 
right  was  facing;  but  mainly  to  the  neglect  of  the 
commander  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  who  disobeyed  special 
instructions  and  omitted  common  precautions,  though  in 
the  immediate  presence  of  an  enemy  known  to  be  in  the 
highest  degree  vigorous  and  enterprising. 

"Still,  the  disaster  on  the  right  had  not  extended  much 
beyond  the  Eleventh  Corps,  which  was  only  one-seventh 
of  the  entire  force  under  Hooker's  command.  The  centre 
was  still  unbroken,  and  energy  on  the  part  of  his  subordi- 
nates, on  the  extreme  left,  might  have  retrieved  the 
fortunes  of  the  day.  !N"ever  has  there  been  a  clearer 
demonstration  of  the  importance  of  minutes  in  war; 
never  has  the  want  of  a  proper  estimate  of  minutes 
received  a  prompter  punislmaent — only  that  punishment 
fell,  not  where  it  was  deserved,  but  upon  the  hopes  of 
all  the  loyal  States,  and,  to  some  extent,  upon  the 
reputation  of  the  commanding  general. 

"Sedgwick  groped,  delayed,  neglected  to  advance  with 
such  promptness  as  to  cooperate  with  Hooker  on  Sunday ; 
gave  the  enemy  time  and  warning  so  as  to  bring  upon 
him  (Sedgwick)  unnecessary  resistance  at  Fredericks- 
burgh;  gave  Lee  time  to  march  from  Chancellorsville 
and  resist  his  advance  and  prevent  his  cooperation  with 
Hooker;  and,  finally,  failed  to  seize  and  hold  the  key- 
point  of  his  part  of  the  field,  which,  even  in  spite  of  the 
first  delay,  might  have  retrieved  in  a  great  measure  the 

143 


144  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

disasters  of  the  day.  He  suffered  Lee  to  vibrate,  with 
alternate  fearful  shocks,  from  Hooker  back  upon  himself, 
recrossed  the  river,  thus  destroying  the  last  tactical  hope 
of  Hooker,  and  converted  a  struggle,  which  promised  the 
destruction  of  the  Eebel  army,  into  a  mutual  slaughter 
and  a  drawn  battle,  of  which  all  the  strategic  honor 
remains  with  Hooker,  the  tactical  glory  with  Jackson, 
the  historic  reputation  with  Lee. 

"The  strategy  of  Chancellorsville  was  analagous  to  that 
of  Torgau,  one  of  the  great  battles  of  Frederick,  which 
he  fought  against  Daun  in  1760.  Frederick,  with  two- 
thirds  of  the  Prussian  Army,  in  three  columns,  turned 
the  right  of  the  Austrians  and  attacked  them  on  the  flank 
and  rear.  Just  as  Hooker  took  Meade,  Howard,  and 
Slocum  and  went  up  to  Kelly's  Ford  in  order  to  turn 
Lee's  flank  aud  force  him  from  his  lines  of  retreat. 
The  King  left  Ziethen  to  act  the  part  assigned  by  Hooker 
to  Sedgwick,  that  is,  to  engage  the  enemy  simultaneously 
in  a  different  direction,  and  in  the  end  to  cooperate  in 
the  decisive  attack. 

"The  Austrians  gained  over  the  king  an  advantage 
almost  as  decisive  as  Jackson  over  Hooker,  but  the  Prus- 
sian veterans  fell  back  and  took  a  new  and  strong 
position,  while  Ziethen,  unlike  Sedgwick,  never  slacked 
his  work  or  lost  heart,  but  fought  on,  with  pertinacity 
and  genius,  so  as  to  work  in  at  the  critical  moment  on 
the  decisive  point.  The  issue  was  a  tactical  and  strate- 
gical victory  for  the  king. 

"If  Chancellorsville  must  be  ranked  as  a  failure,  it  was 
one  of  Frederick's,  not  one  of  Napoleon's  defeats.  It 
did  not  materially  help  the  Eebel  situation,  nor  inspire 
them  with  any  great  hope ;  neither  did  it  lower  the  morale 
of  the  Federal  Army,  nor  shake  the  confidence  of  troops 
in  their  commander ;  nor  did  it,  in  the  opinion  of 
military  critics,  dim  the  reputation  of  that  commander. 

"That  he  removed  his  Army  safely  across  a  furiously 
swollen  river,  immediately  after  the  fight,  in  a  moral  and 
physical  condition  to  renew  the  contest  when  and  where 
he  chose ;  that  he  lost  no  batteries,  and  inflicted  upon  the 


THE  FEUITS  OP  CHANCELLOESVILLE    145 

enemy  a  greater  loss  in  men  than  he  suffered  himself, 
is  proof  sufficient  that  Chancellors ville  is  to  be  classed, 
not  as  a  defeat,  but  as  a  failure  to  realize  all  that  a  large 
and  well-appointed  army,  with  an  accomplished  com- 
mander, had  hoped.  The  total  Federal  loss  at  Chancel- 
lorsville,  as  given  by  official  reports,  was  17,197  (Childs 
makes  it  15,000),  of  which  the  heaviest  fell  on  the  Sixth 
corps,  whicli  bore  the  brunt  of  Monday's  attack  near 
Bank's  Ford,  and  the  Third  Corps,  which  did  most  of 
the  fighting  on  Sunday  morning  at  Chancellorsville. 
The  Second,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth  suffered  about 
equally,  while  the  losses  in  the  Fifth  were  slight. 

"Lee  admits  that  his  loss  was  fearful,  and  a  letter  from 
a  Eebel  surgeon  to  his  wife  puts  their  loss  at  18,000 — 
the  same  as  Childs  makes  it :  18,000  killed  and  wounded, 
5,000  prisoners,  15  colors,  and  7  cannon.  To  this  fearful 
list  must  be  added  the  death  of  Stonewall  Jackson.  And, 
when  we  consider  the  moral  force  that  perished  with  him, 
the  absolute  impossibility  of  replacing  him,  and  the 
remarkable  and  effective  combination  of  soundness  and  of 
brilliancy  that  was  realized  when  Lee  and  Jackson 
cooperated,  we  may  well  declare  the  loss  to  the  Rebels 
irreparable  and  beyond  all  estimate. 

"The  result  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was 
neither  a  defeat  nor  a  disaster.  A  disaster  necessarily 
involves  a  very  severe  loss,  without  any  commensurate 
advantages.  A  defeat,  in  this  ease,  would  be  a  very 
unjust  term,  because  it  implies  a  loss  of  trophies,  and, 
what  is  more,  of  honor.  The  balance  of  trophies  was  in 
Hooker's  favor;  the  surplus  of  honor  greatly  on  his  side 
of  the  account. 

"As  for  the  losses,  no  comparison  can  be  instituted. 
Taking  the  Rebel  account  as  correct,  the  world  must 
acknowledge  that  their's  was  infinitely  greater  than  ours. 
To  them  their  losses  were  irreparable.  Hooker  concedes 
seventeen  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-seven  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  From  this,  two  thousand 
five  hundred  and  eight  was  a  decrease  of  numbers, 
without    anything    like    an    equivalent    diminution    of 

10 


146  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

strength;  fifteen  thousand  is  a  very  fair  estimate  of  the 
total  damage  to  the  Union  army. 

"The  rebels  concede  that  they  lost  12,277  men. 
Stonewall  Jackson,  one  man,  but  that  man  a  host  in 
himself;  one  life,  it  is  true,  but  a  life  which  would  have 
been  cheaply  purchased  if  Davis  or  Lee  could  have 
redeemed  it  with  20,000  of  his  brother  soldiers,  if  Lee 
could  have  averted  the  fatal  bullet  for  eight  weeks,  if  the 
Eebellion  could  have  prolonged  his  life  for  sixty-five 
days.  Whoever  reflects  upon  this  battle,  and  casts  a  retro- 
spective glance  on  what  the  Eebellion  achieved  in  the 
year  preceding  Jackson's  fall,  and  what  it  lost  in  the 
year  succeeding  that  event,  will  need  no  further  argument 
to  place  a  just  value  upon  his  extinction. 

"Eeturning  to  the  relative  losses  of  the  opposing 
armies,  their  comparative  severity  exceeds  those  of  any 
great  battle  on  record. 

"At  Chancellorsville,  out  of  the  80,000  Union  troops 
in  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  between  one-quarter  and 
one-fifth  were  wanting  at  the  next  muster.  Of  the  69,000 
on  paper,  or  rather  of  the  50,000  on  the  field,  who  did 
the  fighting,  about  one-quarter  were  gone. 

"If  the  Eebel  official  return  is  accepted,  one-fifth  of 
Lee's  force  was  eliminated  at  Chancellorsville,  a  fifth 
which  might  be  styled,  without  exaggeration,  'the  kidney 
of  the  wheat,'  the  flower  of  its  fighting  strength,  the 
very  essence  of  its  aggressive.  It  is  more  than  likely 
that  their,  losses  exceeded  the  Union  casualties.  It  is 
most  .probable  that  it  equalled  Hooker's  statement,  18,000, 
founded  on  what  may  be  termed  detective  investigation, 
corroborated  by  the  wail  which  went  up,  and  by  the 
lamenting  admissions,  never  intended  for  Northern  eyes. 
So  that  of  those  who  poured  the  deadly  shot  into  each 
other's  bosoms,  or  cut  or  shot  each  other  down  with  sabre, 
carbine,  and  pistol,  a  little  over  one-fourth  were  killed, 
wounded,  or  captured.  Conceding  5,000  as  prisoners  on 
both  sides,  one-fifth  of  the  actual  combatants  remained 
upon  the  field,  dead  or  disabled.  Of  the  disabled,  how 
many  perished  in  the  flames ! 


THE  FEUITS  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE    147 

"  'Stonewall  Jackson  and  Forrest/  says  a  thoughtful 
observer  and  enforced  participant  on  the  Southern  side, 
'are  the  most  wonderful  men  the  war  has  produced,  one 
as  a  partisan  leader,  the  other  as  a  corps  commander.' 
Who  could  have  foreseen  that  the  quiet  and  methodical 
teacher  in  the  military  school  at  Lexington,  in  1860,  who 
had  lived  to  be  thirty-four  years  of  age  without  winning 
any  other  name  than  that  of  a  well-informed  theoretical 
tactician,  and  a  consistent  officer  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  would,  for  the  three  following  years,  move  before 
the  eyes  of  a  brave  but  misguided  people ;  another  Achilles 
in  the  glow  of  his  martial  enthusiasm ;  another  Cromwell 
in  his  ability  to  summon  a  powerful  religious  enthusiasm 
to  cooperate  with  consummate  tactical  skill?  Yet  such 
was  Stonewall  Jackson  to  the  South,  from  the  day  he 
drew  sword  for  a  cause  which  he  really  believed  to  be 
sacred,  till,  in  the  dusk  of  that  Saturday  evening,  he 
fell  under  the  mistaken  fire  of  his  own  soldiers  when  he 
had  just  seized  the  key-point  of  the  field  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  and  was  making  the  only  exposure  of  his  person 
ever  justifiable  in  a  great  general,  by  a  personal  recon- 
noisance  at  the  front  in  the  intervals  of  a  decisive  battle. 

"Lee  was  able,  from  first  to  last,  to  inspire  thorough 
confidence  in  the  soundness  of  his  military  judgment,  and 
to  make  his  soldiers  feel  that,  whether  in  advance  or 
retreat,  whether  in  ofl^ensive  or  defensive,  there  was  a 
good  strategical  reason  for  any  movement  ordered  by 
him.  Jackson  could  do  more.  He  could  infuse  his  own 
stern  enthusiasm  into  the  entire  line  of  march,  or  line 
of  battle;  so  that,  for  the  time,  at  least,  the  man  lost 
his  personal  identity  as  a  mere  soldier,  and  became  an 
animated  machine,  guided  by  the  will,  infused  with  the 
fiery  activity,  and  the  unquestioning  valor  of  his  beloved 
commander. 

"Jackson  and  his  corps  took  no  counsel  with  flesh  and 
blood.  Footsore  and  often  barefooted,  his  men  clung 
together,  in  the  longest  of  his  swift  marches,  often  for 
days  together,  accomplishing  such  amazing  distances  as 
twenty-five   and   twenty-seven,   and,   in  some   instances. 


148  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

thirty-seven  miles  in  a  day.  If  a  horse  fell  dead  in  the 
harness,  the  men  would  .tie  the  straps  together  and  pull 
with  the  surviving  horses. 

*'His  men  had  the  raggedest  clothes  and  the  brightest 
gun-barrels  in  the  service.  With  true  Saxon  energy  and 
insight,  he  looked  ever  at  the  thing  to  be  accomplished, 
and  made  everything  bend  to  that  single  end.  When 
firmness  was  needed,  as  in  the  perilous  verge  of  the  first 
battle  on  Manassas  Plains,  his  spirit  shot  across  and 
through  the  hard-pressed  regiments,  and  they  were  as 
steady  under  the  galling  fire  as  a  stone  wall. 

"When  a  swift  overpowering  onfall  was  necessary,  he 
wheeled  the  prompt  brigades  into  a  hollow  square,  walked 
modestly  to  the  centre,  took  his  dusty  little  fatigue  cap 
in  his  hand,  and,  on  bended  knees,  with  that  brief  but 
impressive  appeal  to  God,  stirred  the  hearts  of  his 
enthusiastic  boys  more  than  a  hundred  brazen  trumpets 
could  stir  them.  And  when,  a  few  moments  later,  the 
stern  order  came  ringing  down  the  line:  'Dress  on  the 
colors !  column,  forward !  march !'  neither  bullet,  nor 
grape,  nor  canister,  could  check  the  swift  on-movement 
of  those  serried  files. 

"No  eye  was  quicker  than  his  to  see  the  tactical  key- 
point  of  a  field.  No  movement  could  be  swifter  than 
his  to  throw  on  that  point  a  force  able  to  sweep  all 
obstacles  before  it.  His  corps  underwent  hardships  that 
would  have  demoralized  any  other  command  in  the  Eebel 
army.  But  he  knew  how  to  stimulate  them  by  the 
double  incitements  of  duty  on  the  one  hand,  and  glory 
on  the  other.  He  kept  them  ever  animated  by  the 
enthusiasm  of  heroic  sacrifice,  if  the  issue  seemed 
desperate,  or  elated  by  the  prestige  of  continued  success. 
No  commander  in  the  war  has  shown  a  more  thorough 
appreciation  of  time  in  all  military  movements. 

"The  brilliant  movement  of  the  2d  May,  1863,  which 
really  decided  the  issue  at  Chancellorsville,  was  the  last 
bright  page  in  the  military  annals  of  the  South.  The 
next  and  the  last  offensive  strategy  of  the  Eebellion  was 
the  movement — the  last  throw  of  a  desperate  gambler — 


THE  FEUITS  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE   149 

which  culminated  in  gory  disaster  on  the  hills  of  Gettys- 
burg, and  the  failure  might,  perhaps,  have  been  avoided, 
if  the  daring  spirit  and  clear  vision  of  the  dead  hero 
of  Chancellorsville  had  been  there  to  see  and  to  seize  the 
tactical  key-point  of  that  hard-fought  field. 

"The  writer  will  always  maintain,  as  his  sincere 
conviction,  that  Chancellorsville  was  more  disastrous,  in 
its  effects  upon  the  South,  than  the  whole  campaign  of 
1862,  culminating  in  the  battle  of  Antietam.  Although 
the  conflict  upon  the  banks  of  the  Eappahannock,  like 
that  on  the  hills  between  the  Antietam  and  the  Potomac, 
belongs  to  the  category  of  drawn  battles,  the  former  was 
very  much  like  the  agonizing  process  which  ushers  in 
life. 

"Without  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg  could  never  have 
been  born;  the  new  birth  of  our  country  could  never 
have  been  consummated.  The  five  days  in  the  Wilderness 
alone  made  the  three  days  on  the  ridge  of  Gettysburg  a 
possibility;  that  is,  a  possibility  of  a  successful  solution 
of  the  great  question  which  had  converted  our  industrial 
country  and  a  peaceful  people  into  one  camp,  one  arsenal, 
and  a  nation  of  soldiers;  a  question  whether  freedom  or 
slavery  should  be  the  future  of  America ;  fought  out  with 
tongue  since  the  organization  of  the  United  States; 
fought  out  the  two  preceding  years  with  the  sword;  yet 
to  be  fought  out  for  two  years  more,  although  the  ques- 
tion was  decided  while  Hooker  commanded  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac. 

"The  glories  of  Chancellorsville,  and  they  are  many, 
its  effects,  momentous  and  most  fortunate,  belong  to 
Hooker.  Its  defects;  defeat,  if  the  world  elect  to  style 
it  a  defeat;  the  failure,  must  rest  with  those  in  whose 
action  was  realized  the  truth  of  the  adage  that  'wilful 
negligence  is  equal  to  crime,' — a  negligence  which 
rendered  a  magnificent  conception  a  source  of  deep  regret 
and  mortification  to  the  North,  occasioned  the  delay  of 
a  year  and  a  half  before  Peace  could  extend  her  olive 
branch  throughout  our  borders,  cost  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  lives,   and,  worst  of   all,  endangered  the 


150  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

great  cause,  the  onward  march  of  human  progress  and 
of  Freedom. 

"Truly  has  it  been  said  that  the  glories  of  the  Chancel- 
lorsville  campaign  belong  to  Hooker.  Casting  a 
retrospective  glance,  as  far  back  as  the  26th  of  January, 
1863,  and  extending  the  contemplation  thence  forward  to 
the  succeeding  Anniversary  of  our  Independence,  what 
miracles  had  Hooker  accomplished — yes,  miracles — in 
military  organization  and  development! 

"He  received  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  a  discordant 
and  imperfect  structure,  in  many  respects  a  'jangling' 
or  'shackly  concern.'  He  delivered  it  over  to  his 
successor  a  perfect  machine,  an  organism,  so  permeated 
with  the  spirit  he  had  infused,  that  it  continued  to  go 
on  with  the  impulse  which  he  had  given,  and  the  fuel 
he  had  supplied,  until  it  had  won  the  impending  battle 
on  which  the  tide  of  events  broke,  turned,  and  thence, 
ever  after,  ebbed. 

"At  Gettysburg,  nothing  was  changed  until  the  last 
shot  had  put  the  period  to  the  jubilant  enunciation  of 
the  victory.  The  organization — thorough,  practical, 
visible,  and  felt  in  every  member,  from  company  to  corps, 
through  every  arm  or  branch  of  the  service — all,  every- 
where, was  due  to  Hooker.  The  generals  he  selected 
stemmed  the  torrent  of  Southern  fury  on  the  ridge  of 
Gettysburg.  The  men  who  bore  the  burden  and  the  heat 
of  the  day  at  Chancellorsville,  and  stopped  the  gap  in 
the  Wilderness,  crippled  the  exultant  foe,  under  the 
shadows  of  the  Alleghanies. 

"One  of  these  who  held  the  post  of  danger  and  of 
honor  on  the  3d  of  May,  near  Hazel  Grove,  was  the  man 
who  depleted  Lee  at  the  Peach  Orchard,  and  determined 
that  Gettysburg  should  be  fought  on  that  hook  of  hills 
destined  henceforward  to  everlasting  renown — Daniel  E. 
Sickles.  And,  while  thus  exalting  to  his  proper  place 
the  volunteer  general  who  accomplished  such  results,  the 
historian  of  the  contest  delights  to  linger  upon  another 
leader  of  the  highest  merit,  who,  after  displaying  a 
consummate  tact  in  the  selection  of  a  position,  in  the 


THE  FEUITS  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE   151 

massing  and  handling  of  artillery,  and  the  conversion  of 
a  handful  of  raw  troopers  into  an  impassable  barrier  of 
human  determination,  on  the  ridge  near  the  Columbia 
Furnace,  arrested  the  career  of  Stonewall  Jackson,  was 
the  medium  of  consigning  him  to  that  grave  in  which 
lay  buried  the  irresistible  'Onward'  of  the  Eebellion,  and 
thenceforward  showed  himself  as  capable  of  handling 
large  masses  of  cavalry  as  any  one  who  ever  rose  to  fame 
by  the  sabre. 

"At  Brandy  Station,  Alfred  Pleasanton,  the  preserving 
General  of  Brigade  at  Chancellorsville,  proved,  as  the 
corps  commander  of  the  whole  cavalry  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  that  'the  man  was  found'  who  could  convert 
the  Northern  trooper  into  the  acknowledged  superior  of 
the  legendary  chivalry  of  the  South,  even  when  led  by  a 
hero  of  romance,  like  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  crowned,  under  the 
eye  of  Lee,  a  few  hours  before,  with  the  flowery  garlands 
presented  by  fair  hands  in  the  full  assurance  of  their 
paladin's  victory.  At  Brandy  Station,  at  Aldie,  at 
Hanover,  in  the  brilliant  affairs  around  Gettysburg,  upon 
the  South  Mountain,  around  Hagerstown,  and  at  Falling 
Waters,  Alfred  Pleasanton  demonstrated  of  what  glorious 
deeds  our  Northern  troopers,  so  lately  and  greatly  depre- 
ciated by  their  own  people,  were  susceptible  under  a 
capable  commander,  when  the}^,  'in  better  form,  amply 
redeemed  the  prestige  of  their  covintry,  as  the  Northern- 
ers of  America  have  theirs.' 

"Still,  although  the  development  is  due  to  the  grand 
figure  in  the  waning  twilight  of  Saturday,  2d  May,  the 
North  is  most  unjust,  if,  for  a  moment,  it  is  oblivious 
that  the  flower  and  the  fruit  could  never  have  blossomed 
and  formed  had  not  the  energy  and  judicious  care  of 
Joseph  Hooker  planted  the  seed,  watered  the  shoot,  and 
fostered  the  gro^^i;h  of  that  efficient  cavalr}^,  which, 
growing  grander  and  grander,  finally,  under  Sheridan, 
ran  down  and  stood  ready  to  hew  down  the  last  array  of 
the  'Army  of  Northern  Virginia,'  when  the  uplifted  sabre 
was  arrested  by  the  unavoidable  surrender  of  the  subtile 
Lee. 


152  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"The  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought  with  the  ammu- 
nition with  which  Hooker  had  amply  provided  the 
soldiers,  inspired  and  carried  forward  by  his  energy — 
soldiers  fed,  in  a  great  measure,  with  the  rations  provided 
by  his  foresight.  The  same  engineers,  he  had  selected 
and  advanced,  guided  and  posted  the  troops;  the  same 
staff  administered  and  moved  them.  ^Everything  was  in 
place  as  he  disposed  it;  nothing  was  changed  in  matter 
or  spirit,'  is  the  remark  of  one  who  loved  and  trusted 
him,  'except  that,  in  person,  Hooker  was  absent,  while 
still  present  in  spirit  and  inspiration' — everywhere,  from 
Oak  Ridge  to  the  Round  Tops,  from  the  Granite  Spur 
to  Gulp's  Hill. 

"Such  are  the  laurels  which  are  due  to  Hooker.  They 
cannot  be  torn  from  his  brow.  Indeed,  who  would  seek 
to  tear  them  from  the  brow  of  that  magnificent  chief, 
now  crippled  by  terrible  injuries  received  in  the  very 
battle  under  consideration?  Had  Hooker  l)een  less  than 
he  was — had  he  been  less  than  the  writer  claims  for  him 
— his  career  would  have  ended  with  the  relinquishment 
of  his  role  as  the  tliird  commander  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  But  it  was  not  so.  Justice  would  not  permit 
it  to  be  so.  His  fate  was  not  the  fate  of  either  of  his 
successors  or  predecessors. 

"Lookout  Mountain,  the  key  note  to  Chattanooga,  the 
entering  wedge  to  the  first  decisive  fight  on  Mission 
Ridge,  the  American  'battle  above  the  clouds,'  the  most 
romantic  triumph  of  the  whole  war,  belongs  to  Hooker 
alone.  That  plum  was  never  intended  for  his  share. 
But  Heaven,  juster  and  more  merciful  than  man,  deter- 
mined that  he  should  be  the  one  to  plant  the  banner  of 
the  stars  upon  the  loftiest  pinnacle  ever  won  throughout 
the  war  by  force  of  arms ;  an  efflorescence  as  wonderful 
as  the  feat  of  arms  which  it  commemorates;  a  'pulpit 
rock,'  from  which  the  arch  devil  of  the  rebellion,  like 
the  Veiled  Prophet  of  Khorassan  (no  less  ferocious  in 
his  instincts  and  selfish  ambition),  promised  to  his  delu- 
ded followers  a  triumph  as  false  as  the  poisoned  goblet  to 
a  like  fanaticised  faithful  in  the  halls  of  Neksheb. 


JOHN   WATTS   DE   PEYSTBR 
About   1892 


THE  FEUITS  OF  CHANCELLOESVILLE   153 

"Thenceforward — even  to  the  last,  when  a  second  a^d 
worse  injustice  compelled  Hooker,  through  indignant 
self-respect,  to  lay  down  his  command  in  favor  of  the 
very  general  who  lost  him  Chancellorsville — he  was 
always,  on  every  field  on  which  he  appeared,  the  same 
magnificent  picture  of  a  soldier,  and  the  same  glorious 
leader  of  men,  the  soldiers  of  the  North.  At  Ringgold, 
Mill  Creek,  Cassville,  Dallas,  Pine  Mountain,  on  the 
Chattahooche,  before  Atlanta,  but  more  particularly  at 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  most  resplendent  honors  belong  to 
the  great  general  and  soldier. 

"Though  Hooker  was  not  permitted  to  have  his  name 
forever  linked  with  the  victory  at  Gettysburg,  he  did 
not  lose  the  splendid  opportunity  here  afforded  of  gaining 
a  victory  over  himself.  He  cheerfully  gave  General 
Meade  all  the  assistance  in  his  power,  unfolded  his  plans, 
indicated  the  proper  line  of  march,  and,  upon  reaching 
Washington,  expressed  himself  to  the  President  as  ready 
to  waive  all  military  punctilios,  and  accept  the  command 
of  a  corps  under  Meade,  so  recently  his  subordinate. 

"But  it  was  not  given  him  to  cooperate  directly  in 
those  movements  which  resulted  so  gloriously  to  the 
Union  arms,  but,  in  other  fields,  on  the  far-off  plains  of 
Georgia,  and  in  the  ever  memorable  battle  above  the 
clouds,  he  continued  to  devote  all  his  abilities  to  the  good 
of  his  country,  and,  though  in  a  subordinate  position,  he 
has  won  a  glory  above  the  mists  of  prejudice  and  the 
shafts  of  detraction. 

"It  will  be  found,  when  the  seven  successive  com- 
manders of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  have  their  merits 
examined,  and  their  places  assigned  by  the  calmness  of 
future  historians,  that  no  military  administration  was 
more  scientific,  more  vigorous,  active,  or  enterprising 
than  that  of  Hooker;  and  that  if  Grant  succeeded  where 
he  had  failed,  it  was  because  Grant  was  entirely  free 
from  what  so  painfully  embarrassed  all  his  predecessors — 
departmental  lines  and  bureaucratic  interference." 


CHAPTEE  XLII 

GETTYSBURG 

After  Chancellorsville,  Hooker  returns  to  Falmouth, 
Lee  to  Fredericksburg.  A  month  later  Lee's  army 
stretches  itself  out  like  a  worm,  its  left,  under  Ew'ell, 
advancing  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley. 

Aware  that  a  movement  is  afoot,  Hooker  throws  his 
cavalry  across  the  Rappahannock  to  feel  Lee.  It 
encounters  Stuart's  horse  at  Beverly  Ford,  9  June,  and 
a  sharp  brush  costs  each  side  nearly  a  thousand  troopers. 
This  reconnoissance  discovers  Lee  in  an  extremely  awk- 
ward and  precarious  situation. 

The  attenuated  Confederate  line,  its  left  at  Winchester, 
its  right  at  Fredericksburg,  is  one  hundred  miles  long. 
Hooker,  divining  Lee's  purpose — a  second  invasion  of  the 
North — sees  in  a  flash  his  own  opportunity.  He  has  but 
to  cross  the  river,  hurl  himself  upon  Fredericksburg,  and 
crush  the  isolated  right  of  Lee's  extended  line. 

"Washington  thwarts  him.  Halleck  and  Lincoln  have 
their  usual  scare,  and  lest  the  national  capital  should 
perish,  Hooker  is  sent  after  Ewell.  The  latter,  capturing 
four  thousand  prisoners  at  Winchester,  pushes  into  Penn- 
sylvania. I^est  Washington  should  be  uncovered.  Hooker 
must  wait,  south  of  the  Potomac,  until  Lee's  whole  army 
is  over.  Crossing  only  one  day  behind  Lee,  Hooker 
concentrates  at  Frederick,  25  to  27  June.  He  can  strike 
at  Lee  through  the  South  oMountain  passes,  or  follow  him 
into  the  Susquehanna  Valley. 

Hooker  pleads  in  vain  for  the  troops  wliich  Halleck, 
from  time  to  time,  has  detached  from  the  army  and 
scattered  around  in  useless  batches.  Halleck  remains 
peevish,  bickering  and  obstructive,  while  Ewell  reaches 
York  and  Carlisle,  within  easy  reach  of  Harrisburg. 

On  27  June  Hooker  orders  French  to  evacuate  Mary- 

154 


GETTYSBUEG  155 

land  Heights  aDcl  join  him  with  his  eleven  thousand  men. 
The  same  day,  at  two  P,  M.,  Halleck  countermands  the 
order.  Hastening  to  Frederick,  frustrated,  insulted, 
Hooker  asks  to  be  relieved.     Meade  succeeds  him. 

Meade  is  Halleck's  favorite.  The  very  next  day,  28 
June,  he  repeats  Hooker's  order  to  French,  and  Halleck 
does  not  interfere.  The  same  day  Meade's  army  advances 
north  from  Frederick,  following  Hooker's  plans  and 
orders. 

Lee,  grown  timid  and  fearing  for  his  communications, 
changes  his  plan.  He  holds  Longstreet's  corps  at 
Chambersburg,  while  Ewell  and  Hill,  on  the  Susque- 
hanna, turn  back.  Meade  determines  to  fight  at  Pipe 
Creek,  but  hides  his  purpose  behind  a  movement  of  his 
left  towards  Gettysburg.  Lee,  meanwhile,  has  directed 
Hill  and  Ewell  to  seize  Gettysburg,  which  controls  the 
roads  toward  the  Potomac. 

On  1  July  the  Union  cavalry  under  Buford,  supported 
by  Eeynold's  infantry,  discovers  and  engages  A.  P.  Hill 
just  north  of  Gettysburg.  Hancock  with  the  First, 
Howard  with  the  Eleventh  Corps,  form  into  line,  but 
with  Ewell's  advance  to  the  support  of  Hill  the  Union 
troops  are  pushed  back  through  the  town.  They  seize 
and  begin  to  fortify  Cemetery  Hill,  a  hook-shaped  height 
south  of  Gettysburg.  At  Hancock's  earnest  suggestion, 
Meade  brings  up  his  whole  army  from  Pipe  Creek. 

On  the  morning  of  2  July  Lee  faces  our  entrenched 
army  from  a  parallel  height.  Seminary  Eidge,  a  mile 
west  of  our  position.  At  noon  Lee  hurls  Longstreet 
upon  Sickles,  who  occupies  a  peach  orchard,  in  advance 
of  our  main  centre.  Sickles  is  pushed  back  to  our 
regular  line.  Warren,  seizing  Eound  Top  in  a  desperate 
duel,  frustrates  a  move  to  flank  our  left.  Ewell  makes 
some  impression  at  Gulp's  Hill  on  our  right.  This  small 
success,  with  Longstreet's  against  Sickles,  misleads  Lee. 
Believing  he  has  seriously  weakened  both  our  flanks,  he 
hopes  to  crush  them  the  next  day. 

At  daylight,  3  July,  however,  we  force  Ewell  back,  and 
new  works  on  our  flanks,  thrown  up  during  the  night, 


156  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEK 

reveal  themselves  to  Lee,  He  must  take  our  centre. 
Massing  one  hundred  and  fifty  guns  on  Seminary  Eidge, 
at  one  o'clock  he  begins  a  terrific  cannonade.  For  two 
hours  he  pours  this  fire  upon  us,  and  for  two  hours  we 
reply  with  our  eighty  guns.  Then  Pickett's  thirteen 
thousand  gallant  men  make  their  famous  charge,  precip- 
itating themselves  against  our  centre.  With  fearful 
slaughter  the  column  is  checked,  and  its  shattered 
remnants  hurled  back. 

Unfortunately,  Meade  is  not  the  man  to  make  a  swift 
countercharge.  All  night  and  the  next  day,  3  and  4 
July,  the  armies  sullenly  confront  one  another.  Lee's 
slow  retreat,  begun  5  July,  is  scarcely  harrassed  by  the 
slothful  Meade. 

The  following  criticism  by  General  de  Peyster  is  taken 
from  "Decisive  Conflicts." 

"Lee's  second  invasion  of  the  JSTorth,  in  1863,  even 
more  than  his  first,  in  1862,  resembled  the  various 
inbursts  into  England  by  the  Scotch,  to  collect  plunder, 
replenish  their  commissariat,  make  reprisals,  and  compel 
the  recall  of  the  English  forces,  operating  in  Scotland, 
for  the  protection  of  their  own  richer  territories.  It  was 
a  gigantic  raid,  or  immense  French  Algerian-razzia, 
unworthy  of  this  age  of  the  world.  Like  the  invasion  of 
Southeastern  France,  in  1707,  by  the  Duke  of  Savoy  and 
Prince  Eugene,  it  did  temporary  mischief,  but  accom- 
plished no  lasting  benefit,  and  cost  the  South  an  army, 
in  numbers,  besides  its  best — its  incomparable  infantry. 

"j^o  Eebel  incursion,  however  grand  in  numbers,  ever 
rose  to  the  dignity  of  an  invasion — not  even  Bragg's — 
since  even  he  sought  political  reorganization  as  a 
secondary  object,  and  made  plunder  the  primary  object 
of  his  military  operations.  Verily,  East  and  West,  in 
1862,  and  East,  in  1863,  if  the  mass  of  the  Eebels  were 
honest  in  their  ideas  of  political  regeneration,  their 
leaders,  like  Esau,  sold  their  birth-right  for  a  mess  of 
pottage.  This,  with  all  their  faults,  the  Northern 
generals  never  were  guilty  of. 

"By  the  recent  discovery  of  Lee's  revised  Qx  Retailed 


GETTYSBUEG  157 

report  of  this  campaign,  it  appears  that  in  June  and 
July,  1863,  his  objective  was  Harrisburg,  and,  by  implica- 
tion, must  have  been  Philadelphia.  That  he  could  not 
cross  the  Susquehanna  is  attributed  to  the  menacing 
movement  which  Hooker  directed,  or  rather  planned, 
against  his  communications. 

"There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  when  Lee  first 
moved  from  the  Eappahannock,  to  cross  the  Potomac, 
the  objective  of  his  liveliest  hope,  if  not  of  his  calcula- 
tions, was  Washington.  This  expectation  Hooker's 
prompt  interposition  at  once  dissipated.  Prom  the 
battered  buckler  interposed  by  Pope,  in  1862,  Lee  glanced 
off  to  South  Mountain  and  the  Antietam.  In  the  same 
manner,  from  the  glistening  shield  of  Hooker,  Lee 
recoiled  to  Gettysburg.  With  the  energetic  Hooker  on 
his  track,  he  would  not  have  dared  to  cross  the 
Susquehanna.  With  the  substitution  of  another  general, 
circumstances  were  altered. 

"While  operations  were  confined,  as  they  had  been 
for  six  months,  to  the  banks  of  the  Eappahannock,  and 
the  control  that  Hooker  had  of  his  force  was  as  supreme 
as  Lee  had  over  his,  his  movements  were  unhesitating 
and  decisive ;  but  when  Lee  swept  away  toward  the  upper 
Potomac,  Hooker  found  himself  at  once  entangled  in 
departmental  lines,  and  obliged  to  operate  through  the 
circuitous,  bureaucratic  machinery  at  Washington. 

"He  looked  not  merely  to  the  repulse  of  Lee.  He 
believed  that  the  concentration  of  all  the  forces,  in  and 
about  Washington — everything,  in  fact,  in  Heintzelman's 
Department — ^would  be  sufficient  to  check  the  advance  of 
the  invader;  while  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  could  be 
thrown  upon  Lee's  rear,  cut  his  supplies  and  line  of 
retreat,  isolate  him  from  his  base,  and  accomplish  his 
destruction. 

"He  found,  however,  after  long,  frequent,  yet  unsatis- 
factory communications  with  the  bureaucratic  Chief,  that 
no  such  plan  of  operations  would  be  seconded  at 
Washington.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  looked  to 
as    the    only    force    that    could    protect    Heintzelman's 


158  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Department,  and  yet  Heintzelman  was  to  remain  supreme 
in  that  Department ;  and  Halleck,  without  giving  positive 
instructions  to  Hooker,  merely  intimated,  from  time  to 
time,  what  was  expected  of  him.  All  this,  as  can  easily 
be  seen,  produced  nothing  but  misunderstanding  and 
delay.  The  Eebel  General  presented  a  flank  that  reached 
from  Fredericksburg  to  the  upper  Potomac ;  yet  Hooker, 
with  100,000  men,  was  kept  in  such  doubt  by  suggestions 
from  Washington,  that  he  never  considered  himself  at 
liberty  to  fall  upon  the  divided  forces  of  the  enemy. 

"Lee  pressed  onward  in  the  hope  that  Hooker's 
department  embarrassments  would  fetter  his  pursuit.  In 
this  he  was  disappointed.  When  he  burst  into  Maryland, 
and  struck  at  Wasliington,  his  blow  glanced  aside  from 
the  shield  which  Hooker's  vigilance  had  interposed.  By 
marches,  into  which  he  had  infused  his  own  energy, 
marches  such  as  an  army  of  100,000  men,  with  all  its 
trains,  has  rarely,  if  ever,  performed,  Hooker  bounded 
after  the  Eebel  General.  The  blow  aimed  at  the  throat 
of  the  country  was  turned  aside.  Glancing,  instead  of 
inflicting  a  deadly  wound,  it  only  shore  off  a  few 
ornaments  from  the  armor. 

"Eepulsed  from  Washington,  without  a  battle,  Lee 
expended  his  energies  in  plundering  Pennsylvania.  But 
this  rather  roused,  than  exhausted,  the  material  strength 
of  the  North.  It  was  clear  that  a  little  common-sense 
strategy  was  all  that  was  necessary  to  make  the  Eebel 
General  pay  the  forfeit  of  his  army,  and  perhaps  of  his 
life,  for  the  desperate  rashness  of  this  invasion.  But, 
unfortunately,  honest  common-sense  was  the  element  that 
had  always  been  lacking  at  the  War  Office. 

"The  same  line  of  conduct,  which  had  withholden 
many  a  well-aimed  blow,  was  continued.  Hooker,  with  a 
scope  of  vision  which  saw  beyond  the  mere  winning  of 
a  battlefield,  to  an  early  ending  of  the  war,  on  one  deci- 
sive field,  found  the  means  by  which  so  great  an  end 
could  be  accomplished  denied  him  and  the  determination 
manifested  that  he  should  not  deliver  the  blow,  which, 
at  once,  should  make  him,  and  unmake  the  Eebel  cause. 


GETTYSBUEG  159 

"He  felt  that  a  victory  like  that  which  McClellan  had 
won  the  year  before,  the  bare  possession  of  a  field  strewn 
with  the  dead,  ploughed  with  artillery,  and  soaked  with 
blood,  and  the  spectacle  of  an  enemy  retreating 
unmolested,  and  loaded  with  plunder,  to  renew  the  fight 
on  another  day,  was  not  enough  for  the  country,  for 
the  Army,  or  for  himself.  To  him,  with  his  spirit,  his 
military  genius,  and  Ms  honor,  a  victory  which  would 
permit  Lee  to  recross  the  Potomac,  was  a  defeat. 

"The  army  he  had  in  hand  was  sufficient  to  check 
Lee's  advance.  To  crush  him  effectually,  he  needed 
numbers;  and,  accordingly,  called  for  the  additional 
troops,  distributed  at  various  points  in  the  vicinity  of 
Washington,  in  what  were  known,  at  the  War  Office,  as 
Schenck's  Department  and  Heintzelman's  Department, 
where  they  had  done  and  could  do  no  good — troops  that 
could  be  summoned  to  his  standard  in  time,  without 
imperiling  a  single  position  whose  fate  did  not  depend 
upon  the  gaining  of  such  a  victory  as  he  planned,  and 
whose  value  was  trifling  compared  with  the  results  at 
which  he  grasped. 

"The  controlling  feature  of  Hooker's  strategy  was  to 
sever  Lee  from  everything  in  his  rear.  Lee  himself  says, 
in  his  report,  that  the  danger  to  his  lines  of  communi- 
cation was  constantly  before  his  eyes,  and  embarrassed 
all  his  movements.  A  few  troops,  in  certain  portions  of 
the  other  departments,  were  said,  in  Halleck's  telegrams, 
to  be  subject  to  Hooker's  orders;  but,  in  some  cases,  the 
officers  refused  to  obey  Hooker,  on  the  ground  that  they 
were  not  in  his  department ;  and,  in  others,  they  reported 
that  they  had  been  instructed  by  Halleck  not  to  notice 
Hooker's  orders.  It  was  not  until  Hooker  saw  that,  so 
far  from  being  able  to  destroy  Lee,  he  could  only  hope 
to  repulse  him,  since  he  had,  at  the  same  time,  to  cover 
Harper's  Ferry  and  Washington,  that  he  was  convinced 
that  the  good  of  the  country  required  a  General  over  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  who  enjo3^ed  the  confidence,  and 
might  have  the  cooperation,  of  the  bureaucratic  Chief. 

"It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  case  of  greater  hardship 


160  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

in  the  annals  of  this  or  any  other  war.  During  the 
five  months  of  his  leadership,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
had  been  raised  from  a  defeated,  demoralized  organiza- 
tion, to  a  disciplined,  sanguine,  elated  army.  A  great 
battle  had  been  fought,  of  which  the  strategical  results 
had  been  neutralized  by  the  neglect  or  delay  of  subordi- 
nates, but  in  which  irrecoverable  losses  had  been  inflicted 
on  the  enemy.  And  now  another  great  battle  is  immi- 
nent ;  Hooker  brings  his  army  north  of  the  Potomac,  and 
parries  Lee's  thrust  at  the  Capital. 

'^''hile  he  is  arranging  to  give  the  enemy,  not  a  repulse, 
merely,  but  a  Waterloo  defeat,  he  finds  his  plans  are  mis- 
apprehended, his  suggestions  misconstrued,  his  calls 
dishonored  at  the  War  Office;  that  he  is  hopelessly 
entangled  by  departmental  lines,  by  conflicting  military 
jurisdictions,  and  by  the  personal  hostility  of  the  Presi- 
dent's military  advisor.  He  obtains  relief  from  his 
command,  only  to  find  the  very  troops  that  were  denied 
him  given  to  his  successor;  and  that  successor  moving  on 
to  the  momentous  shock,  to  figure  in  one  of  the  greatest 
of  historic  battles,  on  lines  indicated  by  himself,  and 
in  the  very  order  he  had  designated. 

"  'Hos  ego  versiculos  feci ;  tulit  alter  honores, 
Sic  vos  non  vobis,'  et  cetera. 

"  'He  that  ruleth  his  own  spirit  is  greater  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city.' 

"The  Bureaucratic  commander-in-chief,  who  had 
acquired  some  reputation  and  some  solid  returns  from 
his  translation  of  Jomini's  'Life  of  Napoleon,'  seems 
at  this  time  to  have  forgotten  every  practical  lesson 
which  might  have  been  learned  from  the  splendid  career 
of  that  renowned  warrior.  In  no  instance  did  Napoleon, 
while  he  was  Napoleon,  divide  his  forces,  or  dislocate  his 
command  when  he  expected  to  deliver  a  decisive  battle. 
His  life  teems  with  examples  showing  his  true  and 
successful  policy. 

"Until  1815,  he  never  hesitated  to  abandon  under- 
takings irrelevant  to  the  great  result,  to  bend  all  his 
energies  and  direct  all  his  forces  to. a  point  of  paramount 


GETTYSBURG  161 

importance.  Halleck,  who  was  the  military  advisor  of 
the  President,  might  have  remembered  that  Wellington 
owed  his  success  on  the  Peninsula,  to  the  distribution 
made  by  Napoleon  of  his  forces  into  separate  armies, 
under  independent  chiefs  of  equal  rank,  whose  jealousies 
and  mutual  misconceptions  rendered  all  harmonious 
cooperation  to  one  result  impossible.  He  might  have 
taken  a  reliable  lesson  from  the  earlier  and  more  brilliant 
career  of  the  great.  Corsican,  in  his  campaign  along  the 
Brenta. 

"After  that  brilliant  series  of  actions,  Montenotte, 
Dego,  Mondovi,  and  Lodi,  Napoleon,  triumphant  over 
the  Austrian  forces  in  the  field,  had  completed  the  invest- 
ment of  Mantua,  an  acquisition  of  the  first  importance 
for  the  consolidation  of  his  previous  conquests.  Suddenly 
Bonaparte  learns  that  Wurmser,  with  a  new  Austrian 
army,  35,000  strong,  is  descending  the  Adige.  These, 
with  reenforcements  from  the  interior  of  Austria,  com- 
posed a  force  of  60,000,  collecting  for  the  relief  of 
Mantua. 

"Napoleon  did  not  hesitate  to  spike  126  pieces  of  siege 
artillery,  throw  his  stores  into  the  lake,  destroy  his  siege 
works,  which  had  cost  his  army  so  much  time  and  toil, 
and  march,  at  once,  against  Wurmser.  'If  I  beat  the 
enemy,'  he  said,  'I  can  recover  my  cannon  at  Mantua ;  in 
the  contrary  event,  I  should  not  less  have  lost  them.' 
He  felt  that  his  course  was  to  sacrifice  everything  to 
the  massing  against  the  enemy  a  force  that  would  ensure 
his  defeat  in  the  field,  after  which  he  could  renew  the 
siege  of  Mantua,  with  the  certainty  of  making  it  his  own. 

"The  result  justified  his  reasoning.     He  beat  Wurmser, 

and  eventually  captured  Mantua,  with  Wurmser  and  the 

wreck  of  his  army  in  it.     Hooker,   in  a  similar  case, 

reasoned  like  Napoleon.     His  plan  was  to  abandon  every 

point  of  secondary  importance,  augment  his  army  with 

the  garrisons  thus  released,  concentrate  every  sabre  and 

bayonet  upon  the  enemy.     Had  his  counsel  been  followed, 

had  Hooker  been  entrusted  with  the  command  of  all  the 

forces  between  the  Neuse  and  the  Susquehanna  had  the 
11 


162  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

covering  of  Wasliington  been  made,  for  a  short  time, 
subordinate  to  the  greater  object  of  crushing  Lee  and  all 
liis  force,  the  Union  armies  could  easily  have  been  so 
manoeuvred  as  to  grind  up  the  Eebel  army  as  between 
the  upper  and  the  nether  millstones. 

"Such  a  plan,  however,  was  too  bold,  too  vast,  too 
Napoleonic  for  the  translator  of  Napoleon's  Life. 

"The  result  showed  the  superior  wisdom  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Gettysburg  was 
fought  between  forces  nearly  equal;  and  the  contest  was 
long  and  bloody.  Lee's  advance  was  checked,  but  he 
withdrew  in  good  order,  and  without  pursuit,  recruited 
his  forces,  kept  the  defensive  only,  and  two  years  of 
slaughter  were  added  to  the  two  already  passed. 

"But  the  system  of  departmental  lines  was  abandoned 
before  success  was  acMeved.  Grant,  coming  from  the 
Southwest  with  the  brilliant  reputation  and  overmatching 
authority,  the  result  of  unbroken  military  success,  was 
placed  in  command  and  raised  above  all  bureaucratic 
interference.  Departmental  lines  were  swept  away,  a 
bureaucratical  commander  at  the  capital  fell,  the 
National  fortunes  rose,  Eebellion  was  crushed. 

"Hooker  relinquished  the  command  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  at  Frederick  City,  Maryland,  June  28th, 
1863.  Meade  received  that  army  in  a  thorough  state  of 
organization  and  discipline. 

"Meade  took  up  the  reins,  and  the  spirit  infused  by 
Hooker  still  animated  that  army,  which  he  may  be  said 
to  have  created.  Scattered,  but  still  a  unit  in  its  desires 
and  objects,  the  impulsion  given  to  it  by  that  energetic, 
but  unfortunate  commander,  carried  it  on  to,  and  through 
the  decisive  battle  of  the  war. 

"Gettysburg — emphatically  the  soldiers'  light — the 
fourth  decisive  battle  (morally,  territorially,  and  mili- 
tarily), may  be  regarded  as  the  fruit  of  the  seed  of 
Chancellorsville,  this  last  a  parallel  to  Shiloh,  inasmuch 
as  it  disposed  of  the  military  executive  genius  of  the 
South,  just  as  Pittsburgh  Landing  removed  the  strategist 
of   rebeldom.     Gettysburg   was   the   culmination   of   a 


GETTYSBUEG  163 

campaign  whose  decisiveness  had  been  taken  out  of  it  by 
a  previous  battle,  by  manoeuvres  succeeding  to  that  first 
conflict,  and  by  the  slack  pursuit  of  the  discomfited  foe, 
subsequent  to  Gettysburg. 

"The  real  causes  of  Lee's  defeat  were  his  losses  at 
Chancellorsville.  Whether  ^Stonewall'  Jackson  was  or 
was  not  a  great  general,  he  was  a  mighty  power,  and  in  his 
fall,  and  the  death  of  the  flower  of  the  Confederate  army 
in  the  Wilderness  and  around  Fredericksburg,  the  'Army 
of  Northern  Virginia'  lost  exactly  that  wliich  rendered 
Gettysburg  decisive  in  favor  of  the  North. 

"With  Jackson  at  his  side,  Lee  could  play  the  great 
captain;  with  Jackson  in  his  coffin,  the  Napoleonic 
element  in  Lee  was  buried  out  of  sight  and  mind,  and 
Lee  was  no  longer  the  victorious  commander  of  armies. 

"The  future  historian,  when  the  influence  of  living 
men  is  ignored,  or  has  disappeared,  will  do  justice  to 
the  immense  consequences  which  followed  from  the 
depletion  of  the  ranks  of  the  '^Army  of  Northern 
Virginia,'  around  that  lone  Chancellorsville  house,  and 
in  the  tangled  jungle  and  clearings  beyond  the 
Eappahannock. 

"Lee  showed  he  was  not  a  great  general  in  fighting  at 
all  at  Gettysburg,  or  fighting  as  he  did,  there  and  then. 

"In  contemplating  a  topographical  map  of  Gettysburg 
and  its  environs,  while  filling  in  from  memory  the 
peculiar  accidents  of  the  ground,  which  are  so  difficult 
to  represent  on  paper,  the  idea  suggests  itself  that  the 
position  occupied  by  our  troops  resembles  that  of  an 
entrenched  camp,  protected  on  either  flank  by  fortresses, 
covering  a  town,  and  blocking  the  issue  of  a  valley 
opening  into  a  rich  and  vast  champaign  or  rolling 
country. 

"To  the  eastward  and  southward  the  traveller 
encounters  nothing  which  deserves  the  name  of  a  moun- 
tain, within  twenty-two  miles,  until  he  reaches  Parr's 
Eidge,  a  backbone  which  commences  near  Burk's  Ferry, 
on  the  Susquehanna,  about  seventeen  miles  above  Havre 
de  Grace ;  thence  extends  westerly  to  Strasburg,  where  it 


164  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

is  cut  by  the  Northern  Central  Eailroad;  thence  curves 
southwesterly  to  Westminster,  where  it  is  traversed  by  the 
Westminster  Branch  Eailroad,  from  Union  Bridge  or 
Middlebury  to  Baltimore;  thence  again  southerly,  to 
Mount  Airy,  where  it  is  crossed  by  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad,  whence  it  serpentines  towards  the 
Potomac,  bifurcating  near  Clarksburg,  the  northern  fork 
or  spur  terminating  in  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain  near  the 
junction  of  that  river  and  Monocacy  Creek,  the  southern 
near  Edwards'  Ferrv. 

"It  was  along  the  eastern  base  of  this  ridge  that  the 
writer  suggested,  in  1861,  the  construction  of  a  railroad, 
connecting  the  Pennsylvania  Northern  Central,  at  Stras- 
burg,  with  Washington ;  with  the  AVestminster  Branch  at 
Westminster;  with  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  and  Wash- 
ington, near  Mount  Airy;  thereby  obviating  the  delay 
and  difficulties  of  transmitting  supplies  and  troops 
through  Baltimore  and  over  a  long  single-track  railroad. 
The  distance  is  about  seventy  miles,  which,  in  a  country 
of  easy  grade.s,  could  have  been  constructed  for 
$1,750,000;  which  could  have  been  saved  in  one  year  by 
the  effect  of  competition  and  the  increased  facilities  of 
transportation. 

"This  railroad  would  have  afforded  an  opportunity  to 
military  engineers  to  protect  it  in  such  a  manner,  with 
defensive  works  or  a  chain  of  small  forts  or  block-houses, 
that  these  would  not  only  have  sufficed  for  the  security 
of  the  road  itself,  but  have  constituted  a  line  of  posts 
whose  very  existence  would  have  deterred  a  partisan 
corps  from  venturing  through  it — turning  Washington, 
as  Stuart  did  in  1863 — to  make  a  raid  in  the  direction  of 
Baltimore. 

"At  each  of  these  forts  or  posts  a  signal  station  might 
have  been  established,  something  on  the  plan  adopted  by 
the  Russians  for  preventing  the  incursions  or  outbreaks 
of  the  Circassians  along  the  frontier  of  the  Caucasus, 
whose  signals  by  day  or  night  would  have  announced  the 
appearance  of  suspicious  corps,  regular  or  raiders,  and 
have  thus  enabled  the  military  authorities  to  concentrate 


GETTYSBURG  165 

troops,  either  to  defend  menaced  points,  or  cut  off  the 
retreat  of  the  enemy — which  troops  might  have  found 
rapid  conveyance  along  the  contemplated  railroad  to 
those  which  it  connected.  It  would,  doubtless,  have  held 
completely  in  check  the  triangular  district  to  the  eastward 
of  the  Parr's  Bridge,  or  range  of  small  mountains,  and 
between  it  and  the  Potomac,  and  the  Susquehanna  and 
Chesapeake  Bay. 

"Why  the  Eebels  loitered,  pottered,  and  hung  like  a 
thunder-cloud  upon  the  crests  and  slopes  of  the  moun- 
tains overlooking  Gettysburg,  and  did  not  seize  that 
important  strategical  position,  is  one  of  those  secrets 
which  have  never  been  explained  Those  who  have 
marked  the  progress  of  events,  and  the  influence  of 
individuals  upon  them,  must  attribute  this  error  to  the 
absence  of  Stonewall  Jackson,  sleeping  in  the  grave. 

"Ewell  should  have  continued  his  attack  upon  our 
left,  July  1st,  P.  M.,  despite  of  any  orders  from  Lee  to 
the  contrary.  This  would  have  been  a  master-stroke, 
and  Ewell's  master  in  military  matters,  Stonewall 
Jackson,  would  have  made  it.  That  Lee  arrested  Ewell's 
aggressive,  was  his  most  fatal  error,  the  blame  of  which 
he  cannot  shift  to  any  other  shoulders  from  his  own. 
Had  Stonewall  Jackson  been  alive  that  day,  the  chances 
are  ten  to  one  that  the  Eebel  flags  would  have  crowned 
victoriously  the  crest  of  that  Cemetery  Eidge  which  the 
Rebels  never  again  assailed  except  to  their  own  repulse 
and  destruction. 

"Jackson,  '^unsurpassed  in  his  appreciation  of  the  value 
of  time,'  would  never  have  paused,  with  victory  in  full 
sight,  as  Ewell  did,  though  fifty  Lees  had  ordered  him 
to  do  so.  Nor  would  Lee  have  sought  to  direct  him, 
or  stay  his  hand.  Ewell,  who  had  drank  at  the  fountain 
of  Jackson's  inspiration,  and  had  risen  to  the  command 
of  a  corps  in  the  light  of  his  example,  saw  the  truth,  but 
seems  not  to  have  had  the  moral  courage  to  disobey  a 
direct  command.  Well  might  he  exclaim,  in  bitterness  of 
spirit,  as  in  Gettysburg  he  is  reported  to  have  done, 
when  Lee's  orders  reached  him,  to  hold  his  hand,  that 


166  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Lee  was  an  'old  fool' — as  some  say,  with  a  bitter  oath. 
Lee  committed  many  errors  at  Gettysburg,  but  this  was 
his  first,  his  greatest,  the  most  fatal. 

"Having  committed  his  first  great  fault,  in  arresting 
the  attack  of  Ewell,  who  had,  apparently,  seven  chances 
out  of  ten  in  favor  of  his  success,  Lee  seems  to  have 
ignored  every  axiom  of  war,  and  committed  one  blunder 
upon  another.  He  realized,  in  military  matters,  the 
truth  of  the  proverbs  in  common  life,  'one  false  step 
leads  to  many'  (C'est  le  premier  pas  qui  coute).  With 
the  groans  of  the  victims  of  Malvern  Hill,  repeating  in 
thunder  tones  the  condemnation  of  Magruder,  Lee 
exposed  himself  to  a  severer  judgment  for  a  greater  act 
of  reckless  disregard  of  the  commonest  military  and 
common  sense.  He  had  heard  the  whole  world  resound 
with  the  censure  heaped  upon  Burnside,  for  giving  into 
his  (Lee's)  hand,  to  work  his  will  upon  it,  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  wasted  in  attempting  to  storm  the  heights 
of  Fredericksburg,  and  yet  he  imitated  the  action. 

"Then  ensued  that  attack  of  over  15,000  Confederates, 
in  column,  as  magnificent  in  its  exhibition  of  the  finest 
courage  as  any  which  has  ever  been  witnessed  upon  the 
battlefield ;  an  attack  to  which  the  advance  of  ]\Iacdonald, 
at  Wagram,  across  the  plain  of  Marchfield;  or  that  of 
the  English  column,  into  the  'jaws  of  death,'  at  Fonte- 
noy;  or  that  of  the  Old  Guard  at  Waterloo  (to  all  of 
which  it  has  been  compared),  cannot  serve  as  any 
parallel ;  since  the  artillery  and  small  arms  of  1745,  1809, 
1815,  were  as  inferior  in  range  and  precision  to  those  of 
1863,  as  the  long-bows  and  cross-bows  which  won 
Hastings,  Hallidon  Hill,  Maupertius  or  Poictiers,  and 
Agincourt,  were  inferior  to  them  again,  and  to  those  of 
the  Frederician  wars. 

"Then  came  that  sublime  collision  between  ISTorthern 
tenacity  and  Southern  ardor. 

"Had  there  been,  then  and  there,  a  general  of  the  first 
class,  or  of  the  second  class — which  embraces  such  men 
as  Wellington,  Blucher,  Saxe,  and  the  five  great  pupils 
and  successors  of  Gustavus — he  would  have  divined  the 


GETTYSBUEG  167 

destined  point  of  impact,  and  hurried  off  his  aides  and 
orderlies,  to  the  right  and  left,  to  hasten  thither  every 
disposable  regiment.  He  would  have  constituted  first, 
second,  and  third  lines  of  reserve,  as  there  were  on  the 
lower  ground,  further  to  the  left,  in  the  rear  of  the 
menaced  left-centre;  first,  to  strengthen  the  defence; 
second,  to  convert  it,  instantaneously,  into  a  ruinous 
repulse  by  the  mere  weight  of  numerical  superiority; 
third,  to  follow  up  the  defeat,  and,  with  the  bayonet  in 
the  reins  of  the  flying  foe,  to  carry  discomfiture  into  his 
lines,  capture  his  uncovered  artillery,  which  would  not 
have  dared  to  play  upon  the  pursuers,  from  the  fear  of 
a  simultaneous  slaughter  of  the  intervening,  hard-pressed 
pursued. 

"Such  a  catastrophe,  it  is  clear,  from  the  indications  of 
the  British  Colonel  Freemantle,  was  exactly  that  which  the 
Confederate  generals  feared,  and  for  a  short  time  antici- 
pated. Then  it  was  that  the  fiery  Pleasanton  advised  an 
immediate  counter-l)low,  with  the  comprehensive  sugges- 
tion that  he  gave  his  superior  'the  next  two  hours  to 
make  himself  a  great  man,'  and  urged  an  immediate 
advance  of  the  whole  army,  or  words  of  similar  signifi- 
cance. Then  it  was  that  Hancock,  the  great  soldier, 
wrote  in  his  ambulance  those  few  lines  of  earnest 
exhortation,  imbued  with  the  same  spirit.  Then  it  was 
that  the  lightning-eyed  Warren  expressed  the  same  idea, 
and  the  reliable  Crawford,  sweeping  forward  at  a  later 
tiour,  on  our  left,  drove  the  enemy  toward  the  Emmets- 
burg  Eoad  and  captured  250  prisoners,  which  might  as 
well  have  been  as  many  thousand  as  there  were  hundreds 
taken,  had  the  whole  Union  army,  horse  and  foot,  moved 
out  at  once  upon  the  enemy,  like  the  allies  at  Waterloo. 

"The  world  knows  the  result  of  Waterloo,  and  even 
such  should  have  been  the  consequences  of  Gettysburg. 
Even  as  it  was,  the  moral  effects  were  momentous;  and, 
amid  the  magnificent  scenery  of  that  glorious  district  of 
the  forest  land  of  Perm,  Freedom  was  re-born,  and 
simultaneously  baptized,  with  the  blood  of  its  dearest, 
and  bravest,  and  best.     There,  in  the  cradle  of  those  three 


168  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

days^  conflict,  without  parallel,  in  the  mighty  questions 
dependent  upon  the  wager  of  battle,  and  in  the  heroism 
displayed — enthusiastic,  on  the  side  of  the  aggressive, 
and  determined,  on  the  part  of  the  defensive — 'the 
Government  of  the  People,  for  the  People  and  by  the 
People,'  opened  its  eyes  to  a  new  birth,  such  as  never 
before,  in  the  history  of  tlie  world,  owed  its  delivery  to 
the  supreme  effort  of  a  volunteer  people  in  arms. 

"Is  it  not  fair  to  presume  that,  if  a  Grant  and 
Sheridan  had  been  at  Gettysburg,  Lee's  candlestick 
would  have  been  removed  out  of  its  place  July,  1863 ;  or 
even  the  Rosecrans  of  Corinth,  or  the  Sherman  of  Chatta- 
nooga, or  the  Thomas  of  Nashville — that  symmetrical 
tower  of  strength? 

"There  is  no  justification  for  Lee,  June  30th  to  July 
4th,  at  any  period  or  in  any  action,  unless  he  had  become 
so  intoxicated  with  a  series  of  fortunate  results,  due 
rather  to  the  mistakes  of  others  than  any  superior 
sagacity  of  his  own,  as  to  believe  that  his  genius  was 
above  the  commission  of  errors.  In  everything — every 
attribute,  social,  moral,  military — Lee  is  a  phantasm. 
Good  fortune  misled  the  Rebels  into  idealizing  what 
they  desired, 

"Lee,  having  a  fine  presence,  filled  the  idealistic 
Southern  eye,  as  Stonewall  Jackson  fired  the  Southern 
heart,  and  the  Rebels  made  him  a  god,  attributing  to 
him  qualities  which  they  imagined  their  great  leader 
should  combine,  and,  so  imagining,  accorded  them  to 
him.  What  their  faith  conceived,  Lee  did  not  possess. 
Represented  as  always  clean-shaved,  exceedingly  neat, 
elegantly-attired,  well  got  up,  gentlemanly-mannered, 
mild-spoken,  a  moderate  general — the  world  has  taken 
gilding  for  gold,  and  out  of  a  specious,  selfish  man,  but 
not  a  great  one,  made  an  object  of  idolatrous  worship. 

"Lee  had  no  need  to  attack,  and,  having  arrested 
Ewell's  'Forwards,'  the  game  was,  to  all  appearance,  in 
his  hands  to  play  it  as  he  deemed  wisest.  Meade  showed 
no  disposition  to  attack  Lee.  At  most,  he  would  await 
Lee's  aggressive.     Even  passive  resistance,  on  the  part  of 


GETTYSBUEG  169 

the  Union  commander,  at  this  point,  was,  at  first, 
seemingly — if  men's  sworn  testimony  is  correctly  given — 
by  no  means  a  fixed  determination.  Consequently,  all 
Lee  had  to  do  was  to  amuse  our  troops  in  their  assumed 
position;  and,  in  the  same  way  that  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston  passed  his  regiments,  masked  by  a  blind  fire, 
to  the  right,  and  turned  our  left  at  Shiloh,  Lee  should 
have  masked  his  movements  by  a  lively  cannonade,  moved 
his  troops  under  the  blind  of  Oak  Eidge,  and  turned  our 
left  at  Gettysburg. 

"Had  Johnston  lived,  and  had  his  plans  succeeded,  as 
they  had  prospered  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  the  Eebel 
army  would  have  interposed  itself  between  the  Union 
army  and  the  Tennessee,  between  it  and  its  line  of  escape, 
its  base  of  supplies,  and  every  opportunity  of  succor. 
Had  Johnston  survived,  and  his  flanking  movement  been 
completed  (which  movement  was  in  the  full  tide  of 
success  when  he  fell,)  the  catastrophe  to  our  army  would 
have  been  fearful. 

"Imagine  the  effect  of  a  similar  turning  movement  on 
the  part  of  Lee.  It  would  not  only  have  placed  him  upon 
the  roads  constituting  our  line  of  supplies,  and  have 
given  him  the  major  part  of  our  trains,  but  have  planted 
him  between  the  Northern  army  of  succor  and  Washing- 
ton and  Baltimore.  In  other  words,  it  would  have 
delivered  up  everything,  in  the  rear  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  into  the  hands  of  the  Eebels. 

"Judging  from  the  Union  general's  quiescence  after 
the  repulse  of  Pickett,  on  the  3d,  throughout  the  4th, 
and  the  want  of  energy  even  on  the  5th,  Lee  might  have 
gained  two  days'  march  upon  him,  and  forty-eight  hours 
would  have  carried  the  Eebels  either  into  Baltimore  or 
Washington.  Such  games  have  been  played  before. 
Thus  Laudohn  vanished  from  before  Frederic,  after  a 
thwarted  preliminary  campaign  in  front  of  the  Camp  of 
Buntzelwitz,  in  1761,  and  by  a  'Croat's-trick,'  carried 
the  first-class  fortress  of  Schweidnitz — two  days'  journey 
distant  from  the  king — strongly  garrisoned  and  well 
supplied.     By   a    similar    movement    Blucher    deceived 


170  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

ISTapoleon  and  captured  Paris,  in  1814,  and  eluded 
Grouchy,  in  1815.  What  is  more,  in  the  very  same  way, 
Lee  himself  vanished  from  before  McClellan,  after  Antie- 
tam,  September  18th-19th,  1862,  just  as  he  did  from 
before  Meade,  July  13th-14th,  1863. 

"How  Europe  would  have  shouted  and  clapped  had 
Lee  done  this !  How  Washington  would  have  stammered 
and  shook,  and  how  the  chief  of  chiefs  would  have 
explained  to  our  great  and  good  Lincoln  how  it  happened, 
from  disregard  of  his  advice  and  principles  of  strategy, 
and  how  the  loyal  North  would  have  wept,  while  rousing 
to  new  exertions!  But  that  would  not  have  saved  us 
from  the  recognition  of  the  Confederacy  by  Europe. 

"That  Lee  did  not  attempt  this,  was  his  second  great 
fault ;  that  is,  ignoring  that  his  whole  conduct  at  Gettys- 
burg was  one  vast  blunder,  which  proved  what  our  best 
fighting  general,  and  one  of  our  best  adjutant-generals, 
always  asserted,  that  'Lee,  with  the  means  personal  and 
material  at  his  command,  proved  a  failure.'  Let  pane- 
gyrists weave  all  the  laurels  they  can  for  him,  and  they 
cannot  explain  away  the  fact  that,  before  Lee  knew  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  he  was  out-generalled  and  ejected  from 
AVestern  Virginia  by  Eosecrans,  and,  after  he  lost  Stone- 
wall Jackson,  his  career  of  success  was  ended. 

"No  general,  not  even  Napoleon,  had  ever,  at  one  time, 
seven  such  subordinates,  inspired  with  one  idea,  spurred 
by  the  same  will,  in  earnest,  and  working  together,  as 
Lee  had.  We  never  had  in  our  army  anything 
approaching  such  a  simultaneous  union  of  such  corps  or 
division  commanders,  inspired,  as  it  were,  with  one  idea, 
and  working,  heart  and  soul,  to  the  same  end. 

"The  Union  victory  at  South  Mountain  is  the  severest 
condemnation  upon  Meade's  failure  to  follow  and  break 
up  Lee's  army,  on  its  retreat  from  Gettysburg,  in  1863, 
since  the  Union  Army  forced,  triumphantly  and  with 
comparative  ease  in  1862,  passes  of  the  same  range,  held 
by  hitherto  victorious  troops,  and  much  more  susceptible 
of  defence  than  those  which  they  would  have  had  to  carry 
in   1863,  when  those  weaker  passes  were   occupied   by 


GETTYSBUEG  171 

troops  decidedly  beaten  and  fought  but  in  a  three  days' 
battle,  demoralized,  in  some  respects  at  least,  deficient  in 
ammunition,  and  much  more  so  in  food,  and  embarrassed 
with  numerous  trains  conveying  a  multitude  of  wounded. 

"In  September,  1862,  Lee  had  not  been  defeated;  his 
troops  were  almost  invincible,  in  the  conviction  of  their 
superior  soldiership,  and  were  justified  in  a  high  opinion 
of  their  prowess  by  a  succession  of  undoubted  victories, 
and  yet  Lee  and  his  troops  were  thoroughly  worsted  on 
stronger  ground  than  Meade  would  have  had  to  fight  on, 
in  following  them  up,  in  1863.  In  1862  the  Army  of 
ISTorthern  Virginia  was  driven  from  positions  of  very 
great  natural  strength  by  troops  which  it  had  defeated 
on  open  and  favorable  fields — by  troops  led  by  a  General 
who  had  certainly  never  proved  a  very  great  conqueror, 
with  odds,  and  under  circumstances  much  more  favorable 
to  him.     It  is  strange  Meade  did  not  think  of  all  this. 

"The  application  of  all  this  justifies  the  conclusion 
that  God  permitted  the  escape  of  Lee,  after  Gettysburg, 
because  the  times  were  not  ripe  for  the  utter  discomfiture 
of  the  Kebel  army.  While,  at  the  same  time,  under 
every  human  consideration,  circumstances  demonstrated 
that  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  should,  then  and 
there,  have  been  captured  or  destroyed.  Had  this  been 
accomplished,  it  is  questionable  if  the  end,  for  which  the 
'Slaveholders'  Eebellion'  was  permitted,  would  have  been 
attained.  The  attitude  of  the  South,  current  events, 
political  combinations,  all  go  to  prove  that  the  war,  even 
as  it  was,  ended  almost  too  soon.  Had  it  terminated 
sooner,  it  is  very  questionable  if  the  battle  would  not  now 
have  to  be  fought  over  again. 

"The  immense  results,  which  crowned  Gettysburg,  all 
flowed  from  the  depletion  of  the  Eebel  army,  through  its 
sacrifice  by  Lee,  that  is,  its  actual  loss  in  the  battle, 
36,000  of  its  best  men,  the  consequent  straggling  and 
desertion,  proper.  Gettysburg,  although  the  decisive 
battle  of  the  War,  and  a  great  battle,  on  account  of  the 
numbers  engaged  and  the  vast  interests  at  stake,  was  not 
a  great  battle  in  the  scientific  sense  of  the  word. 


172  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"Antietam,  if  won  at  all,  was  won  in  Turner's  and 
Fox  Gaps,  and,  in  itself,  was  a  drawn  battle,  in  which 
the  awful  prodigality  of  loyal  blood  was  not  even  requited 
by  the  immediate  possession  of  the  battle-field. 

"At  Gettysburg,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  length 
was  indeed  victorious,  and,  being  so,  the  fate  of  the  war 
was  decided,  and  the  cause  and  the  country  were 
victorious. 

"For  this  crowning  victory,  for  this  salvation,  we  owe 
no  gratitude  but  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  and  to  the  host 
which  championed  His  cause;  to  the  dead  who  fell,  or 
sleep  on  that  verdant  hill  which  they  enriched  with  their 
life-blood,  or  wherever  the  dead  and  mutilated  of  this 
decisive  conflict  lie;  and  to  the  living  men,  who,  in 
contact  with  the  enemy,  not  with  their  heads,  but  with 
their  bodies  and  their  hands,  stood  up  to  fight,  and 
fought  out,  where  they  stood,  the  mightiest  deliverance 
ever  achieved — since  humanity  had  acknowledged  rights 
— for  humanity." 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

AMERICANS   GREATEST  MILITARY   CRITIC 

As  early  as  1867  a  British  officer,  a  graduate  of 
Woolwich,  wrote,  "The  works  of  General  de  Peyster  will 
serve  as  text  books  for  the  future  military  historical 
studies  of  the  Republic,  as  in  terseness  of  style,  display 
of  military  research,  and  correctness  of  topographical 
delineation  (the  latter  the  most  difficult  branch  of  the 
art  of  military  writing),  they  are  quite  equal  to  the  works 
of  the  foreign  authorities  whose  books  stood  foremost  in 
our  Royal  Military  Academy.  The  beauty  of  his  style 
is  far  excelled  by  the  minute  accuracy  of  his  statement."* 

In  a  letter  dated  7  July,  1869,  Brevet  Major-General 
A.  Pleasanton  speaks  of  General  de  Peyster's  "great 
acquaintance  with  military  matters,  his  long  and  faithful 
research  into  the  military  histories  of  modern  nations, 
his  correct  comprehension  of  our  late  war,  and  his  inti- 
macy with  many  of  our  leading  generals  and  statesmen 
during  the  period  of  its  continuance."  Others,  compe- 
tent to  judge,  speak  in  the  same  strain. 

"His  judgment  of  military  matters  is  almost 
infallible,"  wrote  General  John  Gross  Barnard,  brother 
of  the  late  President  Barnard  of  Columbia  College.  "He 
is  thoroughly  conversant  with  all  the  military  operations 
of  both  armies  during  the  late  war,"  said  Major-General 
Henry  W.  Slocum.  "His  keen  eye  for  topography,  his 
long  and  still  unceasing  military  education,  his  uncom- 
mon memory,  his  powers  of  description,  and  his  oppor- 
tunities for  using  his  ability,  constitute  him  the  only, 
as  well  as  the  first,  military  critic  in  America,"  was  the 
verdict  of  Brigadier-General  William  P.  Wainwright. 
"He  has  accumulated  a  wonderful  amount  of  original 
matter,  some  of  which  is  absolutely  invaluable,  and   I 


♦New   York   Citizen,    21    December,    1867. 

173 


174  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

expect  to  avail  myself  of  it/'  wrote  General  Adam 
Badeau,  during  the  preparation  of  his  well-known  work 
on  Grant's  campaigns,  in  a  letter  to  Major-General  A.  A. 
Humphreys.  General  Humphreys  himself,  writing  to 
General  de  Peyster,  29  September,  1872,  said: 

"You  would  not  think  I  had  lost  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject of  your  labors,  had  you  heard  me  talk  to  some 
Philadelphians  about  the  pursuit  of  Lee.  I  learnt  only 
this  summer  of  the  effect  of  Stanton's  telegram,  on  the 
6th  or  7th  of  April,  giving  the  whole  credit  of  overtaking 
and  attacking  Lee,  on  the  6th  of  April,  to  Sheridan. 
'There,'  they  said  in  Philadelphia  (I  am  told),  '^the 
generals  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  are  laggards;  it 
required  Sheridan  and  Grant  to  overtake  and  beat  Lee.' 
What  an  outrage  on  Wright  and  myself  that  telegram 
was !  We,  laggards  !  The  impression  thus  made  on  the 
public,  in  this  moment  of  success,  has  never  been  effaced ; 
it  remains  to  this  day.  To  you  I  am  indebted,  my  dear 
General,  for  the  first  presentation  of  the  subject  to  the 
public  that  will  tend  to  efface  this  impression." 

In  another  letter  to  General  de  Peyster,  written  30 
May,  1872,  General  Humphreys  says,  "I  fully  appreciate 
your  labors,  which  I  am  conscious  have  brought  into 
clear  relief  what  was  before  obscure  and  ill-defined.  Let 
me  for  a  moment  suppose  I  am  writing  to  a  friend,  not 
yourself — for  you  are  one  of  the  few  persons  to  whom 
one  may  write,  as  it  were,  impersonally,  and  that  implies 
a  very  high  tribute  to  your  sense  of  the  just. 

"Your  industry  in  collecting  facts  upon  any  subject 
you  treat  of  is  literally  untiring.  In  a  long  experience 
among  the  working  men  of  the  country,  I  have  rarely 
found  your  equal,  never,  I  think,  your  superior;  and  I 
may  pay  the  same  tribute  to  your  conscientious  labor,  in 
the  task  of  evolving  the  truth  from  the  mass  of  matter 
collected,  much  of  it  contradictory  and  apparently 
irreconcilable  with  any  known  truths.  Possessing  a  clear 
appreciation  of  the  great  fundamental  principles  which 
should  govern  military  operations  and  battles,  you  are 
quick  to  perceive  adherence  to,  or  departure  from  them, 


JOHN   WATTS   DE   PEYSTER 
From   a  Photograph  taken   in   1888 


AMERICA'S  GREATEST  MILITARY  CRITIC     175 

and  as  the  extended  study  of  the  great  military  writers 
and  historians  has  imbued  your  mind  with  just  military 
views,  so  has  it  richly  stored  your  memory  with  a  redun- 
dant supply  of  apt  illustrative  examples  for  every 
important  event  or  incident  of  our  war. 

"To  all  these  qualifications  of  a  military  critic,  you 
have  added  a  ready,  rapid,  courageous  pen,  and  a  power 
of  application  that  physical  ailments,  growing  out  of  a 
delicate  physique,  have  not  impaired,  though  they  have 
sorely  tried  it." 

The  late  Captain  Mayne  Reid  pronounced  General  de 
Peyster  "the  most  learned  military  historian  and  ablest 
military  critic  America  has  yet  produced."  General 
McAllister  speaks  of  him  as  "the  man  whose  patriotism 
was  equal  to  so  much  research  and  patience,"  and  in  a 
letter  to  General  de  Peyster,  19  January,  1875,  he  says, 
"You,  my  dear  General,  deserve  the  gratitude  of  a  class 
of  officers  who  were  not  bold  enough  to  push  their  claims 
at  Washington,  who  never  flinched  in  the  hour  of  battle, 
without  whose  bravery  all  would  be  lost,  who,  when 
promotions  were  to  be  had,  allowed  others  to  carry  off 
the  prize  who  were  at  a  very  safe  distance  from  the  battle 
storm." 

"Foremost  among  the  military  writers  of  America 
stands  the  author  of  some  half  a  dozen  pamphlets  now 
lying  on  our  desk,"  writes  the  editor  of  the  Lornette,  in 
August,  1870.  "During  the  continuance,  and  since  the 
conclusion,  of  our  great  war,  the  writings  of  Anchor  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  thousands  of  readers.  He  has 
done  more  than  any  one  else  (not  excepting  the  famed 
Committee  on  the  conduct  of  the  War)  to  show  to  us,  in 
their  true  light,  the  characters  of  nearly  all  the  leading 
generals  who  cheered  us  with  victory,  or  disheartened  us 
with  defeat,  during  our  long  five  years  of  desolation. 
His  analyses  of  the  battles  of  Antietam  and  Gettysburg 
are  masterpieces.  By  these  two  books  alone,  if  he  had 
written  nothing  else,  the  author  has  earned  the  gratitude 
of  his  country.  Now  that  the  mists  of  prejudice  are  fast 
being  dispelled  by  the  sunlight  of  truth,  it  will  be  found 


176  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

that  these  works  will  be  accepted  by  the  historian,  yet  to 
come,  as  the  authentic,  truthful  stories  of  those 
momentous  conflicts." 

Sir  Edward  Gust,  English  General  and  author  of 
"Annals  of  the  Wars,"  nine  volumes,  and  "Lives  of  the 
Warriors,"  six  volumes,  in  his  last  volume  addressed  a 
dedicatory  letter  of  twenty-eight  pages  to  General  de 
Peyster,  in  which  he  said,  "I  am  desirous  of  marking  my 
deep  obligations  to  you  by  requesting  the  permission  to 
dedicate  my  concluding  volume  to  you  and  to  your 
military  brethren.  We  appear  to  be  men  of  much  the 
same  mind,  and  of  common  sympathies,  desirous  alike  of 
employing  our  common  language  for  a  common  object — 
that  of  enlightening  our  comrades  of  a  common  profes- 
sion with  the  necessity  of  applying  the  precepts  of  mili- 
tary history  to  the  useful  comprehension  of  their  calling, 
both  of  us  agreeing  that  the  best  instruction  for  all 
officers  is  to  be  acquired  from  the  deeds  of  the  old 
masters  in  the  art  of  war. 

"The  United  States  were  on  the  eve  of  a  melancholy 
crisis  of  international  conflict,  when  you  naturally  wished 
and  you  very  reasonably  desired  to  show,  by  the  intro- 
duction of  a  better  system  of  war,  how  to  stay  the  waste 
of  blood  among  your  countrymen  in  a  strife  which  made 
every  brother  on  either  side  a  soldier.  I,  on  the  other 
hand,  had  fallen  'upon  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf ,^  and  had, 
as  an  old  stager,  become  disturbed  by  the  intrusion  of  a 
new  school  at  our  military  colleges,  preeminent  among  the 
instructors  of  military  histor}^,  who  were  seeking  to 
introduce  a  theory  of  war  against  which  I  sought  to 
recommend  a  knowledge  of  the  past,  or,  as  you  put  it, 
'practical  strategy.' 

"I  do  not  claim  the  merit  of  originality.  My  works 
were  written  by  me  for  the  use  of  youths  who  have 
already  entered  the  service  of  arms,  and  whose  career  has 
commenced,  but  whose  profession  has  yet  to  be  learned. 
You  address  the  higher  ranks  of  the  army,  and  appear  to 
seek  to  philosophize  the  art  of  war  by  showing  it  to  be 
capable,  under  its  most  scientific  phases,  of  being  less 


AMERICA'S  GREATEST  MILITARY  CRITIC     177 

lavish  of  human  blood.  To  both  our  grievances  the 
remedy  is  the  same — practical  strategy.  I  readily  accept 
from  you  this  expression.  It  comprises  all  that  can  be 
said  or  written  upon  skill  in  war,  and  while  I  agree  with 
you  that  this  is  best  evinced  by  sparing  the  lives  of  its 
instruments  as  much  as  possible,  I  hold  that  this  is,  in 
fact,  the  whole  art  of  war.'' 

Unfortunately,  the  larger  part  of  General  de  Peyster's 
writings  on  the  Civil  War  appeared  in  pamphlets  or  in 
the  pages  of  current  periodicals.  As  he  wrote  to  Rear- 
Admiral  George  H.  Preble,  10  November,  1879,  "I  have 
written  and  published  more  than  would  fill  fifteen 
volumes  like  my  Kearny,*  but  I  was  very  unwise  in 
printing  small  editions,  or  else  wasting  my  labors  in 
weeklies  and  other  periodicals,  so  that  I  have  scarcely 
anything  to  show  for  the  work  of  years." 

Later  on  he  almost  ceased  writing  upon  the  Civil  War. 
He  gives  his  reasons  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Asa  Bird 
Gardner,  27  August,  1878.  Colonel  Gardner,  at  that 
time  professor  of  law  at  West  Point,  was  counsel  for  the 
Government  in  the  Fitz  John  Porter  case.  He  wrote  to 
General  de  Peyster,  26  August,  1878 :  "Porter  is  re-trying 
the  entire  case,  so  that  evidence  on  any  point  of  the 
original  trial  will  be  material.  I  have  read  your  Life 
of  Kearny  with  much  satisfaction.  You  have  given  the 
1862  August  campaign  careful  attention,  and  must 
know  the  names  and  addresses  of  valuable  witnesses. 
Pray  help  me  in  this  matter,  and  give  me  the  benefit  of 
your  energetic  voice,  and  let  me  know  where  I  can  obtain 
needed  evidence."  In  his  reply.  General  de  Peyster  says, 
in  part : 

"Judges  admitted  that  no  man  was  better  posted  on 
our  Civil  War  than  I  was,  but  after  the  delivery  of  my 
last  speech  on  Thomas,  I  came  so  near  losing  one  of  my 
best  friends,  through  some  severe  but  truthful  remarks 
on  Halleck,  that  I  gave  up  writing  on  the  Rebellion. 
Previous  to  this,  two  generals  came  near  having  a  duel, 
on  account  of  facts  furnished  by  one  of  them  to  me  for 

*An  octavo  volume  of  five  hundred  and  twelve  pages. 
12 


178  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

publication.  On  another  occasion,  a  controversy  got  so 
hot  that  it  brought  out  one  of  our  Major-Generals  in 
print,  stating  that  he  would  hold  himself  personally 
responsible  for  the  statements  in  my  articles.  Finally, 
two  personal  friends.  Corps  Commanders,  clashed  on 
another  subject  I  was  discussing.  Then  I  made  up  my 
mind  that  I  would  not  give  rise  to  this  continual  bicker- 
ing. I  laid  aside  my  pen,  and  took  to  Eevolutionary 
matters." 

This  allusion  to  a  prospective  duel  is  explained  in  a 
letter  from  General  de  Peyster  to  the  Count  of  Paris,  1 
August,  1877 :  "I  wrote  a  Life,  or  rather  biographical 
sketch,*  of  I^Iahone,  which  was  very  much  liked,  North 
and  South,  when  Jubal  Early  came  down  upon  him. 
Mahone  had  my  sketch  called  in,  and  paid  for  printing 
another.  I  consented  to  this,  at  Mahone's  request,  but  I 
never  would  issue  the  second.  I  consented  by  the  advice 
of  Rosecrans  and  other  generals,  but  I  never  altered  my 
opinion  of  Mahone.  He  was  an  'A  No.  1'  fighting  com- 
mander. Why  he  yielded  to  Early,  passes  my  under- 
standing." 

In  spite  of  his  resolution,  however.  General  de  Peyster 
could  not  altogether  cease  to  write  upon  our  great  war 
of  secession.  Articles  by  him,  and  biographies  of  the 
commanders,  appeared  from  time  to  time.  No  student 
of  the  Civil  War  who  has  failed  to  study  his  monographs 
should  deem  himself  competent  to  speak  critically  upon 
the  subject. 

Next  in  value  are  his  studies  of  the  battles,  campaigns, 
and  generals  of  the  American  Eevolution — a  war,  which, 
apart  from  General  de  Peyster's  writings,  has  been 
neglected  by  expert  military  criticism.  In  the  course  of 
his  studies  on  the  Eevolutionary  War,  as  in  connection 
with  almost  every  subject  on  wliich  he  wrote,  he  ran- 
sacked every  source  of  information,  collecting  a  valuable 
special  library. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Count    of  Paris,  3  August,  1877,  he 


•It   appeared    in    Dawson's   Historical   Magazine. 


AMEEICA'S  GEEATEST  MILITARY  CRITIC     179 

says,  "I  have  been  writing  extensively,  during  the  past 
year,  on  the  Burgoyne  campaign  of  1777  for  the  news- 
papers, and,  in  doing  so,  I  went  back  to  the  original 
sources  of  information,  examining,  in  this  connection, 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  volumes.  I  find  the  ordinary 
story  in  history,  so  styled,  a  fancy  picture,  painted  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  right.  The  main  facts  are  indisputable 
— that  is,  the  dates,  localities,  and  results — but  the 'how' 
and  the  'why'  are  all  presented  according  to  the  bias  of 
the  writer. 

"Burgoyne  was  simply  swamped  and  starved  out,  and 
both  results  were  due  to  himself.  In  July,  victory  was 
within  his  grasp,  and  he  would  not  close  his  fingers  upon 
it.  His  campaign  of  three  months  very  much  resembles 
the  Gettysburg  battle  of  three  days,  Burgoyne  represent- 
ing Lee.  Meade  had  the  Rebel  army  in  his  hands,  after 
Pickett's  failure.  But  it  was  the  afilair  of  an  instant — 
an  omitted  counter  blow  in  force,  from  the  Union  left 
and  centre,  would  have  carried  ruin  with  it  to  Lee.  An 
earthquake  takes  but  a  few  seconds  to  overthrow  a 
Lisbon,  or  devastate  a  province.  Just  so  with  a  great 
success  in  war.     It  is  immediate,  audacious,  ruinous." 

Valuable  also  are  General  de  Peyster's  numerous  mono- 
graphs on  the  campaigns,  battles,  and  generals  of  the 
Thirty  Years'  War.  As  in  other  cases,  he  collected  a 
remarkable  library  of  authorities.  A  critical  estimation 
of  these  will  be  found  in  his  "Literature  of  the  Thirty 
Years'  War."  Almost  all  the  European  wars  which 
occurred  during  his  lifetime  drew  forth  a  series  of 
articles  or  pamphlets.  He  also  wrote  upon  Frederick  the 
Great  and  the  campaigns  of  the  Seven  Years'  War,  pub- 
lished a  series  on  the  Dutch  Admirals,  and  many  mono- 
graphs on  Dutch  exploration,  the  origins  of  Holland,  and 
various  phases  of  Dutch  military  and  political  history. 

In  his  later  years  he  put  forth  a  series  of  monographs 
on  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  the  Waterloo  campaign,  and, 
during  their  preparation,  accumulated  a  special  library, 
perhaps  the  most  valuable  and  complete  on  Napoleon  in 
America. 


180  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

In  addition  to  Ms  military  writings  he  published 
articles  and  pamphlets  so  numerous  upon  a  range  of 
subjects  so  wide  as  to  be  fairly  amazing.  The  reader 
who  glances  at  the  long  list  of  titles  in  the  bibliography 
at  the  end  of  this  volume  must  recognize  a  versatility 
which  has  scarcely  had  a  parallel  in  the  history  of 
American  letters. 

General  de  Peyster  was  indefatigable  in  research.  In 
the  elucidation  of  many  non-military  subjects  he  followed 
his  habit  of  accumulating  exhaustive  special  libraries  of 
authorities.  This  was  notably  the  case  in  connection 
with  his  monographs  on  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  and 
Bothwell,  a  series  which  included  an  historical  drama. 

A  man  of  strong  convictions,  General  de  Peyster  was 
emphatic  in  enforcing  them.  He  was  not  without 
prejudices,  and  could  be  a  powerful  partisan  of  the  cause 
he  espoused.  With  these  qualities  apparent  in  his 
writings,  no  one  can  avoid  the  conviction  that  he  was  an 
earnest  lover  of  the  truth.  The  sentence  found  in  one 
of  his  letters  might  be  inscribed  upon  all  his  writings, 
"If  I  accomplish  my  purpose  of  influencing  public 
opinion  in  the  cause  of  truth,  I  will  have  done  all  that 
I  desire.^' 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

ESTIMATES  OP  MEN 

On  9  March,  1866,  General  de  Peyster  gave  a  birthday 
breakfast,  the  first  of  a  remarkable  series  of  breakfasts 
and  dinners  which  were  continued  for  nearly  thirty  years. 
They  were  given  at  the  General's  town  house,  number 
Fifty-nine  East  Twenty-first  Street,  with  the  exceptions 
of  the  dinners  of  1879  and  1880,  at  Pinard's,  number  Six 
East  Fifteenth  Street  At  the  twenty-first  dinner,  in 
1886,  General  de  Peyster  gave  to  each  of  his  guests  a 
brochure  containing  an  account  of  preceding  celebrations, 
with  lists  of  the  guests  and  the  following  introductory 
note  from  his  pen: 

"The  origin  of  these  commemorative  gatherings  was 
an  inspiration.  After  the  great  American  Conflict  for 
the  suppression  of  the  'Slaveholders'  Rebellion'  was  an 
accomplished  fact,  my  house  became  the  gathering  place 
of  a  large  number  of  officers,  officials,  and  individuals, 
who  had  participated  in  the  glorious  triumph,  or  con- 
tributed to  it  by  their  labors  and  influence.  What 
glorious  times  we  had  and  how  many  truths  were 
revealed  !  Little  did  we  dream  that,  within  twenty  years, 
so  many,  covered  with  honor,  and  joyous  in  spirit,  would 
have  gone  to  Join  the  larger  army  'beyond  the  river,'  and 
that  the  traitors  to  their  country,  who  had  been  crushed 
by  bullets,  would  be  back  in  power,  by  the  force  of  ballots 
and  bull-dozing. 

"One  of  the  many  who  met  together  and  kept  up  the 
rejoicing,  day  and  night,  through  the  Autumn  and 
Winter  of  1865-66,  was  Captain  Frederic  Lahrbush,  who 
had  spent  his  best  days  in  crushing  that  arch-traitor  to 
libertv,  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  in  the  same  way  that  his 
younger  associates  had  periled  everything,  or  so  much, 
in  putting  down  another  arch-traitor  to  liberty,  Jefferson 

18L 


182  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Davis.  One  day  this  veteran  of  the  preceding  century 
remarked,  'My  birthday  is  on  the  coming  9th  of  March, 
1865,  and  at  that  date  I  shall  be  one  hundred  years  old/ 
The  host  replied,  'The  9th  of  March  is  also  my  birth- 
day.' One  of  those  present,  Major  Willard  Bullard, 
exclaimed,  'Why  not  celebrate  the  coincidence  by  an 
entertainment.'  The  proposition  was  received  with 
acclamation,  and  the  affair  arranged  upon  the  spot. 

'The  centenarian  lived  an  abnormal  life.  He  turned 
night  into  day.  At  the  hour  when  the  majority  of  the 
world  sit  down  to  dine  and  are  widest  awake,  he  was 
compelled,  by  the  habits  of  half  a  century,  to  go  to  rest. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  opium  eaters 
noted  in  medical  records.  His  daily  dose,  for  years,  had 
been  one  hundred  grains,  and  he  could  toss  off  a  huge 
goblet  of  laudanum  with  as  much  impunity  as  ordinary 
men  can  drink  a  tumbler  of  burgundy. 

"To  accommodate  his  inexorable  mode  of  life,  it  was 
resolved  to  have  a  breakfast-dinner  at  11  A.  M.,  so  that 
the  soldier,  crowned  with  one  hundred  years,  could  enjoy 
the  festivities  and  go  home  at  an  earlier  hour  than  even 
the  'earliest  birds'  are  winging  their  way — at  the  same 
period  of  the  year,  before  the  real  spring  opens — ^to  their 
accustomed  roosting  places. 

"The  idea  was  indeed  an  inspiration,  and  those  who 
were  present  at  the  first  gathering,  9th  March,  1866, 
were  the  individuals  who  were  in  the  room  when  the 
Commemorative  Banquet  was  decided  upon.  Not  all, 
because  several  were  called  away  by  duty,  or  prevented 
by  accident,  but  the  majority.  Of  the  nineteen  who  met 
together  on  the  9th  of  March,  1866,  seven  are  dead,  and, 
of  the  rest,  the  majority  are  scattered — not  likely  thus 
to  meet  again. 

"Wlien  Captain  Lahrbush  liad  about  attained  his  one 
hundred  and  eighth  year,  9th  March,  1873,  painful 
circumstances  occurred  which  prevented  his  presence, 
and  it  was  then  decided  that,  as  mid-day  was  an  incon- 
venient hour  for  the  assembling  of  the  guests,  the  noon- 
tide festival  should  be  changed  into  a  dinner,  as  being 


ESTIMATES  OP  MEN"  183 

more  consonant  with  the  habits  of  the  world.  Thence- 
forward, these  commemorative  gatherings  were  dinners, 
of  which  the  present  one,  9th  March,  1886,  will  be  the 
twenty-first. 

"One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  these  gather- 
ings are  the  vast  distances  traveled,  on  one  occasion  or 
another,  by  different  guests.  A  day's  journey  has  been 
in  no  wise  regarded,  and,  more  than  once,  a  thousand 
miles  has  been  traversed.  One  hundred  miles  has  been 
deemed  no  obstacle  whatever.  May  it  ever  be  so,  and 
may  the  bond  of  union,  and  the  appeal  of  friendship,  be 
always  regarded  as  a  reason,  and  as  a  triumphant  call, 
for  the  assembly! 

"In  conclusion,  what  saddening  reminiscences  throw 
a  shadow  over  each  recurring  festivity !  Within  the  past 
twenty  years,  how  many  of  those  who  have  thus  annually 
met,  have  "^crossed  the  dark  river !'  The  Past  seems  like 
a  dream,  in  which  their  respected  and  beloved  faces 
loom  up  like  glorified  visions,  or  witnesses,  of  one  of 
the  grandest  phases  in  human  history.  The  future  is 
a  doubt,  Gandcamus  igitur!  while  it  is  so  permitted. 

"Besides  those  who  have  met  together,  living  and  dead, 
many  have  intended  to  be  present  whose  acceptances  were 
traversed,  or  nullified,  by  terrible  casualties,  by  sudden 
sickness,  imperative  orders,  by  accident,  or  by  unforeseen 
exigencies.  Many  generals  were  prevented  from  attend- 
ing by  the  imperative  calls  of  duty,  as  in  the  cases, 
without  further  mention,  of  Major-General  George  H. 
Thomas,  'our  greatest  and  our  best,'  and  Major-General 
John  Pope,  the  most  cruelly  vilified  and  misrepresented 
of  our  commanders,  although  one  of  our  most  able  and 
loyal  leaders  during  the  war. 

"Eear-Admiral  George  H.  Preble  died  suddenly,  of 
heart  disease,  exactly  one  week  before  the  last  meeting, 
1885,  just  as  'pure  gold'  Humphreys,  second  as  a  soldier 
to  none  other  but  George  H.  Thomas,  had  passed  away 
without  a  sign  a  short  time  previous.  Sickness  and 
sudden  orders  twice  prevented  the  attendance  of  Admiral 
Baldwin,  U.  S.  N".,  and,  in  various  years,  other  gentlemen 


184  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

of  note,  who  had  accepted  and  made  all  their  arrange- 
ments to  be  present. 

"Oandeamus  igitur!  while  the  opportunity  occurs, 
'crown  the  bowl  with  flowers,'  and  let  us  be  thankful 
that,  while  so  many  have  departed,  or  have  been 
summoned  hence,  so  many  remain  to  take  each  other 
by  the  hand,  to  join  in  an  affectionate  exchange  of  greet- 
ings, and  to  celebrate  the  most  glorious  phase  of  the 
Fatherland  in  such  commemorative  brotherhoods  of  good 
feelings." 

The  same  guests  being  invited  again  and  again,  the 
succeeding  dinners  began  to  take  on  the  character  of 
reunions.  Those  present  at  different  times  included, 
Major-Generals,  Irwin  McDowell,  Joseph  Hooker,  Alfred 
Pleasanton,  Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys,  Winfield 
Scott  Hancock,  John  P.  Hartranft,  Daniel  E.  Sickles,  G. 
K.  Warren,  Horatio  G.  Wright,  ISTelson  A.  Miles,  Alex- 
ander S.  Webb,  Abner  Doubleday,  Francis  C.  Barlow, 
George  W.  Cullum,  S.  W.  Crawford,  William  D.  Whipple, 
Joseph  B.  Carr,  James  B.  Fry,  Alexander  vShaler, 
William  S.  Rosecrans,  Eugene  A.  Carr,  Henry  L.  Abbott, 
Z.  B.  Tower,  Albion  P.  Howe,  Quincy  A.  Gilmore,  W. 
F.  Smith,  John  G.  Barnard,  Joseph  E.  Hamblin ;  Briga- 
dier-Generals H.  Edwin  Tremaine,  John  Meredith  Read, 
J.  F.  Rodenbough,  Paul  A.  Oliver,  I.  Vodges,  William 
P.  Wainwright,  Charles  S.  Wainwright,  H.  B.  Wallen; 
Admiral  Farragut,  Rear-Admiral  J.  W.  A.  Nicholson, 
Commodore  Charles  H.  Baldwin,  Commander  Frederic 
Pearson,  Major  J.  M.  Bundy,  editor  of  the  Evening  Mail, 
John  Swinton,  editor  of  the  Times,  George  Alfred 
Townsend  ("Gath")  and  Paul  Forbes,  famous  war  corre- 
spondents, Frank  P.  Church,  proprietor  of  the  Army  and 
Naval  Journal,  Robert  B.  Roosevelt,  John  W.  Hamersley, 
"Whitelaw  Reid,  Colonel  John  Hay,  James  W.  Gerard, 
Sir  William  G.  Johnston,  Bart.,  La  Fayette  S.  Foster, 
and  William  Cullen  Bryant. 

"Your  dinners  are  the  only  really  memorable  dinners 
I  ever  attended,"  writes  Major  J.  M,  Bundy,  25  February, 
1884,  in  accepting  his  invitation  for  that  year.     "Such 


ESTIMATES  OF  MEN"  185 


royal  gatherings  are  not  to  be  foregone  without  great 
necessity/^  writes  General  Donbleday.  "It  is  the  thing 
of  the  springtime  to  me/'  writes  General  Crawford.  "I 
look  with  heartfelt  pleasiire,"  wrote  General  Joseph  B. 
Carr,  in  1887,  "as  the  year  rolls  around,  the  return  of 
that  event,  when  I  am,  by  your  courteousness,  permitted 
to  meet  so  many  brave  and  gallant  spirits." 

A  melancholy  feature  was  added,  from  time  to  time,  as 
death  robbed  the  circle  of  one  after  another  of  the 
familiar  faces.  Major  Bundy  wrote,  in  1887,  "I  am 
grateful  for  your  kind  and  continued  remembrance  of 
myself  as  one  of  the  guests  at  your  annual  birthday 
dinners.  I  have  had  a  large  and  varied  experience  of 
dinners,  but  these  dinners  of  yours  stand  by  themselves 
and  are  simply  incomparable  and  perfect.  As  the  circle 
grows  smaller  of  the  old  diners,  its  members  become 
dearer  and  more  interesting  to  one  another,  and  they  are 
all  brave  souls  for  whom — when  'the  dead  live' — I,  for 
one,  have  no  fears."  "The  changes  since  last  March," 
runs  one  of  the  letters  of  acceptance  from  General  Eoden- 
bough,  "will  invest  it  with  a  sad  and  peculiar  interest. 
General  Humphreys  sat  opposite  me  then.  I  shall  miss 
his  kind  face  and  gentle  ways." 

In  a  copy  of  his  brochure  on  these  dinners  in  which 
General  de  Peyster  had  made  notes  we  find  the  following : 
"The  giver  of  these  parties  was  often  urged,  in  order 
to  give  them  more  eclat  before  the  public,  to  invite  some 
oflBcers  of  the  highest  rank ;  but  he  would  not  knowingly 
break  bread,  at  home  or  abroad,  with  any  one  who  had 
wronged  George  H.  Thomas,  or  who  had  failed  John 
Pope  while  he  was  in  command  of  the  Army  of  Virginia 
in  1862." 

This  brings  us  to  General  de  Peyster's  opinions  of 
public  men.  A  loyal  friend,  he  also  was  what  men  call 
a  "good  hater."  He  had,  however,  solid  reasons,  which 
to  him  seemed  convincing,  for  his  convictions.  The 
reminiscences  which  he  left  include  the  following 
pungent  characterizations. 

''I  have  often  been  asked  why  I  do  not  write  down 


186  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

impressions  made  upon  me  by  at  least  some  of  the  many 
prominent  men  whom  I  have  known.  For  the  reason 
that  the  majority  did  not  impress  me  favorably,  nor 
could  I  see  evidence  of  the  greatness  attributed  to  them. 

"I  have  seen  the  Count  de  Lesseps,  Guilder  of  the 
Suez  Canal.'  I  have  heard  so  much  about  him — his 
youngness  for  his  years.  Contrasted  with  my  father, 
who  is  eighty-three,  I  should  call  him  an  old  man  for  his 
years.  To  me  he  looks  like  a  hale,  tough  old  gentleman, 
with  every  indication  of  being  three  score  years  and  ten, 
without  infirmities.  If  my  memory  of  faces  is  at  all 
correct,  he  bears  a  great  deal  of  resemblance  to  the 
portraits  of  old  Governor  George  Clinton.  To  me  his 
expression  is  not  so  intelligent  as  cunning,  in  the  good 
sense  of  the  word,  as  it  is  ordinarily  used.  The  French 
have  a  term  which  Henry  IV.  applied  to  the  great 
Lesdiguieres,  'Ce  fin  renard.'  I  suppose  this  compre- 
hends shrewd,  and  close,  and  sly,  without  intending  to 
cast  any  reflection  upon  honor. 

"Lesseps  is  about  the  average  size  of  men,  but  he  is 
built  to  last, — like  every  man  whom  I  have  ever  met,  who 
has  attained  longevity,  plenty  of  room  for  all  the  vital 
functions,  especially  digestion.  To  me  he  is  neither  a 
striking  nor  attractive  man,  and,  with  all  the  world-wide 
eulogiums  which  have  been  passed  upon  him,  I  doubt 
great  ability,  if  physiognomy  is  an  indication.  Energy, 
decision,  good  judgment,  attention  to  business,  and 
shrewdness,  are  his  strong  points, 

"1  never  could  see  any  genius,  or  engineering,  in  the 
Suez  Canal.  It  was  simply  a  question  of  plenty  of 
money,  and  work,  less  costly  than  'Chinese  cheap  labor.' 
There  is  scarcely  one  canal  in  the  world  whose  comple- 
tion has  required  less  science;  and  that  only  one  is  the 
Mahmoudieh,  which  Mahomet  Ali  built  with  the  bar- 
barism of  nascent  Egyptian  lacquer  of  civilization. 

"Lesseps  had  the  advantage  of  the  past  6,000  years  of 
scientific  developments.  To  a  common  sense  mind,  the 
question  seems,  rather,  whether,  if  he  had  failed,  the 
wonder  would  not  have  been  greater  than  his  success. 


ESTIMATES  OF  MEN"  187 

"I  have  often  been  disappointed  in  the  world's 
favorites.  From  common  report,  I  certainly  expected  a 
very  different  man  in  the  Count  de  Lesseps. 

"President  Van  Buren  owed  his  start  in  life  to  abso- 
lutely boot-licking  a  rich  client  in  his  native  place.  This 
man  exacted  implicit  compliance  with  his  vagaries,  and 
Van  Buren  would  ride  with  him  into  Hudson,  many  a 
time,  under  a  July  sun,  in  a  double  horse  sleigh,  to  the 
music  of  mis-timed  bells.  My  father-in-law,  John  Swift 
Livingston,  lived  in  Claverack,  and  has  often  related  Van 
Buren's  tricks,  in  early  life,  to  gain  money. 

"He  was  the  most  haughty  President  before  the  people 
I  ever  saw,  and  the  only  one  whom  nothing  could  induce 
to  make  a  speech  to  his  followers,  who  had  assembled  at 
Poughkeepsie  to  greet  him,  in  1839,  on  his  way  from 
Gouverneur  Kemble's,  at  Cold  Spring,  to  his  home  at 
Kinderhook.  He  traveled  elegantly,  but  without  osten- 
tation, in  a  light  carriage  and  pair,  with  one  or  more 
outriders  in  plain  liveries;  grooms  and  coachmen, 
colored. 

"Although  I  had  no  respect  for  Mm,  I  must  say  he 
looked  and  acted  like  a  gentleman,  and  he  treated  his 
Democratic  constituents,  on  this  occasion,  as  they 
deserved — just  as  a  dignified  master  would  a  crowd  of 
mouthing  dependents.  He  came  out  on  the  balcony,  or 
second  story  piazza,  of  the  Forbess  House,  bowed,  stood 
a  few  moments  to  allow  the  crowd  to  cheer  themselves 
hoarse,  shook  his  head  quietly,  but  decidedly,  to  every 
invitation  to  speak,  and,  after  a  short  period,  retired. 
How  different  the  conduct  of  Clay,  at  his  reception  in 
the  same  town! 

"Of  all  the  Presidents  that  I  have  ever  seen — Jackson, 
Van  Buren,  Harrison,  Tyler,  Taylor,  Millard  Fillmore, 
Franklin  Pierce,  Buchanan,  Lincoln,  Johnson,  Grant — 
the  noblest  figure  was  Millard  Fillmore.  He  was  a  perfect 
type  of  what  an  American  President  should  be,  affable 
yet  dignified,  with  a  very  fine  presence.  Jackson  looked 
like  a  man,  but  was  a  decidedly  rough  specimen.  Van 
Buren,  polished  but  foxy ;  he  looked  his  character.    Harri- 


188  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

son,  an  invalid.  Tyler,  a  sharp  Virginian — that  is, 
keener  than  the  Yankee,  with  better  manners.  Taylor, 
another  rough  specimen,  but  a  man  with  a  benevolent, 
hearty  expression,  which  Jackson  lacked. 

"Fillmore  belonged  to  the  Washingtonian  type.  Pierce, 
in  a  crowd,  would  never  have  attracted  the  attention  of 
a  single  person.  'Old  Buck,'  like  General  Halleck, 
suggested  the  idea  of  a  cunning  country  attorney  and 
politician,  who  had  made  money  and  could  afford  to 
wear  good  clothes.  No  words  could  express  Lincoln's 
uncouthness,  and  my  interview  with  him  was  painful, 
when  I  thought  such  a  man  was  my  President.  What 
legs  he  had !  Johnson  betrayed  his  origin.  To  me, 
Grant  looked  like  a  light-weight  prize-fighter. 

"I  forgot  to  mention  Monroe.  He  was  exactly  like 
all  his  likenesses,  painted  and  engraved.  A  venerable 
gentleman,  of  the  old  school.  I  have  omitted  Polk,  but 
I  have  seen  him.  He  bore  some  resemblance  to  Jackson, 
Avithout  the  leonine  expression.  Marcy,  the  great  war 
secretary,  was  a  specimen  Democrat,  who,  with  his 
chewing  and  squirting  tobacco-Juice,  could  be  a  black- 
guard with  the  best  of  them. 

"A  French  military  writer,  speaking  of  Grant,  justly 
remarks  that  the  closer  and  longer  his  career  is  investi- 
gated, the  less  and  less  will  be  his  reputation.  He  was 
no  general,  except  according  to  the  estimate  put  upon 
Napoleon  by  Kloeber  and  Moreau,  '&  general  at  six  to  ten 
thousand  lives  a  day.'  That  was  the  opinion  that  I 
always  had  of  him,  and  so  my  judgment  stands  upon  the 
record,  not  published  apres  coup,  but  in  an  analytical 
parallel,  printed  in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  during 
the  war,  or  immediately  after  its  close. 

"About  one  man  I  confess  I  made  a  very  great  mistake, 
Sherman.  Carried  away  by  popular  clamor  and  the  mis- 
representation of  newspaper  correspondents,  I  was  deluded 
into  accepting  him  as  a  general  in  the  grand  sense  of 
the  title.  I  deplore  my  mistake,  and  acknowledge  it  in 
sackcloth  and  ashes.  After  I  had  a  talk  with  my  friend. 
General  George  H.  Thomas,  and  I  had  studied  up  the 


ESTIMATES  OF  MEN  189 

matter,  then  indeed,  I  recognized  the  justice  of  the 
remark  of  Thomas,  that  'the  country  had  reason  to  thank 
heaven  that  he  (Thomas)  was  with  Sherman  to  serve  as 
a  balance  wheel.' 

"I  have  never  seen  Sheridan,  I  have  been  invited  to 
meet  him  and  always  refused.  I  do  not  think  that  his 
ability  equals  his  reputation,  and  I  know  that  his 
injustice  to  Warren  and  to  Wright  is  without  excuse.  He 
either  made  himself  the  tool  of  Grant  and  Meade  in 
regard  to  Warren,  or  else  he  had  no  sense  of  justice  in 
himself.  In  regard  to  Cedar  Creek,  he  certainly  acted 
cruelly  with  respect  to  Wright.  I  cannot  see  where  he 
was  great,  except  that  he  undoubtedly  possessed  physical 
courage,  energy,  and  endurance — all  three  chief  requi- 
sites in  a  general,  in  a  very  high  degree. 

"The  greatest  man  I  have  ever  known  intimately  was 
George  H.  Thomas.  Take  him  all  in  all  and  in  every 
way,  he  was  the  greatest  man  that  this  country  has  ever 
produced.  Even  conceding  to  Washington  the  fabulous 
purity  and  greatness  attributed  to  him,  he  will  still  fall 
far  below  Thomas  as  a  perfect  character.  Sherman  was 
assisted  by  Schofield,  and  a  lot  of  smaller  insects,  to 
annoy  and  sting  Thomas  to  death.  Sherman  said  that 
'Thomas  was  like  the  sun,  but  even  the  sun  had  spots 
upon  it.'  This  may  be  true,  seeing  that  nothing  is 
known  as  to  the  character  of  the  spots  on  the  sun,  so 
that  if  they  were  thoroughly  comprehended  they  might 
turn  out  to  be  anything  but  blemishes. 

"The  equable  gentleness  of  the  tones  of  the  voice  of 
Thomas  led  many  to  suppose  that  he  was  not  decisive  in 
his  opinions.  Never  was  there  a  greater  mistake:  his 
condemnations  were  the  more  severe  in  that  they  were 
totally  destitute  of  temper.  His  review,  for  instance,  of 
McClellan,  and  criticism  of  his  military  action,  was 
scathing.  It  was  like  the  earthquake  at  Lisbon,  leaving 
everything  behind  it  in  ruins.  Thomas  was  magnificent 
in  appearance,  as  he  was  perfect  in  character,  and 
immense  in  ability. 

"Next  to  Thomas,  above  him  in  scientific  ability,  equal 


190  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

to  him  in  military  capacity,  but  below  him  in  exquisite 
poise  as  a  cube-like  whole,  was  General  Andrew  Atkinson 
Humphreys.  The  epithet  won  by  Thomas,  'The  Rock 
of  Chickamauga.' — the  Roch — would  not  apply  to 
Humphreys.  While  the  form  and  demeanor  of  Thomas 
made  the  same  impression  as  the  serenity,  combined  with 
power,  expressed  by  the  Sphynx,  Humphreys  manifested 
through  voice  and  manner,  the  excitability  of  the  Welsh 
blood  in  his  veins.  At  times,  in  danger,  he  was  a  granite 
boulder,  but  it  did  not  take  much  to  convert  that  boulder 
into  a  ball  of  fire. 

"The  expression  has  been  applied  to  several  great 
generals  that,  in  common  life,  especially  in  ladies'  society, 
they  exhibited  the  gentleness  of  the  lamb,  whereas  in 
battle  they  had  all  the  grand  qualities  attributed  to  a 
lion.  It  would  be  more  just  to  say  tiger,  or,  to  speak 
with  greater  exactness,  the  leopard,  for  the  tiger  is  a 
braver  animal  than  the  nominal  king  of  beasts,  and  the 
Indian  leopard  is  recognized  by  hunters  as  the  bravest 
of  all  beasts  of  prey." 

We  subjoin  here  an  estimate  of  Grant,  published  by 
General  de  Peyster  in  1867,  in  his  "Decisive  Conflicts." 

"To  those  who  urge  that  the  capture  of  Vicksburg  was 
a  first-class  event,  the  answer  must  be  given:  Yes,  as  a 
mere  incidental  fight;  but,  then,  that  fight  was  needless, 
if  Vicksburg  had  been  occupied,  after  the  crushing  defeat 
of  the  rebels  at  Corinth  (second),  as  it  might  have  been. 
All  the  subsequent  operations,  tending  thereto,  were 
certainly  superfluous  in  a  philosophical  and  utilitarian 
consideration.  Strategy  is  subject  to  immutable  laws, 
and  nature  itself  indicates  its  objective  keypoints. 
Therefore,  as  a  study,  decisive  battles  are  those  which 
settle  the  possession  of  those  keypoints,  even  when  sub- 
ordinate supplemental  operations  are  required  to  occupy 
them. 

"Were  not  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  carried  by  over- 
powering forces,  just  as  Dufour,  in  1847,  captured  the 
Heights  of  Gislikon,  the  key  to  the  Swiss  secession  strong- 
hold,   Lucerne?     Was    not    Shiloh    saved    by    Buell's 


ESTIMATES  OP  MEN  191 

numbers?  Was  not  Chattanooga,  second,  fought,  two  to 
one,  and  carried,  so  to  speak,  with  a  rush?  Was  not 
Vicksburg  starved  out,  when  direct  attacks,  of  great 
numerical  superiority,  had  failed?  Was  not  Lee 
^swarmed  out,'  from  the  Eapidan  to  Eichmond,  and  the 
evacuation  of  the  latter  ultimately  compelled  by  laying 
waste  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  by  cutting  off  its  supplies 
in  all  quarters,  'its  gate,'  literally,  'smitten  with  destruc- 
tion,' and  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  finally  overrun 
by  such  a  multitudinous  charge  as  usually  accompanies 
the  triumphs  of  intelligent  Eastern  and  Tartar  war? 

"In  treating  of  the  final  campaign — that  blood-bath  or 
ford  from  the  Eapidan  to  the  James — the  writer's 
ingenuity  is  taxed,  in  selecting  from  the  military  terms 
in  ordinary  use,  and  as  generally  received,  to  find  one  to 
express  his  meaning.  It  was  not  a  regular  campaign, 
for  the  fighting  was  almost  unintermittent,  and  it  can 
scarcely  be  said  that  it  was  a  series  of  battles,  for  one 
day's  fight  so  ran  into  the  others  as  to  make  it  one 
continual  fight,  with  scarce  a  definite  interruption,  or 
period,  or  room  between  them  for  a  hyphen,  to  separate 
one  engagement  from  another,  until  the  disappointed 
army  settled  down  in  its  lines  before  Petersburg,  when 
active  operations  merged  into  the  siege  or  investment  of 
Petersburg  and  Eichmond. 

"The  preliminary  jungle  fights,  May  3d-7th,  aye,  22d, 
it  might  be  said,  resemble  most  closely,  of  any  which 
present  themselves  to  the  memory,  the  battles  of  Tann, 
Abensberg,  Landshut,  and  Eckmuhl,  April  19th-33d, 
1809 — those  master-strokes  in  which  Napoleon  exulted  as 
the  crowning  glory  of  his  military  leadership,  as  'his 
finest,  his  boldest,  his  wisest  manceuvres,'  'the  most 
brilliant  of  his  life,'  'never  excelled  by  the  operations 
either  of  himself  or  any  other  general.'  But  what  differ- 
ent results  followed  the  Wilderness  butcheries  of  1864, 
and  the  Forest  battles  of  1809 ! 

"Grant,  on  the  other  hand,  presents  a  combination  of 
the  peculiarities  of  Suwarrow,  Blucher,  Pelissier,  and 
kindred  spirits,  whose  indomitable  perseverance,  whose 


192  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Forwards !  Forwards !  fed  the  fire  of  resistance  with 
fresh  columns  of  headlong  attack,  until  its  violence  was 
quenched  in  blood  and  extinguished  beneath  the  feet  of 
charging  life.  Witness  the  spring  campaign  of  1864. 
Grant,  according  to  the  analysis  of  one  of  the  best  dis- 
sectors of  character — Grant  is  no  strategist,  as  the  term 
is  generally  used;  but  a  Thor-striker,  whose  road  to  his 
object  is  corduroyed  with  dead  men. 

"Had  Grant  lived  at  an  earlier  date,  he  might  have 
been  assigned  to  that  class  of  Commanders-in-Chief — 
Attila,  Genghis-Kahn,  Tamourlane,  and  other  Eastern 
conquerors — who  expedited  massive  columns,  with  resist- 
less fury,  upon  awaiting  entrenchments,  squares  and 
lines,  and  overran,  or  overwhelmed,  nations;  dismissing 
tens  of  thousands  to  the  onset,  with  a  suggestive  and 
imperative  motion  of  command;  leaving  to  subordinate 
ability  and  vigor,  courage  and  discipline,  to  meet  and 
provide  against  the  details  of  accomplishment;  somewhat 
as  Napoleon,  by  a  wave  of  the  arm,  hurled  forward  an 
important  attack  at  Eylau,  or  Suwarrow,  by  a  laconic 
order,  indicated  the  onsets  and  manoeuvres  of  Novi,  1799, 
'Kray  and  Bellegrade  will  attack  the  left,  the  Russians 
the  centre,  Melas  the  right !'  'God  wills,  the  Emperor 
orders,  Suwarrow  commands  that  to-morrow  the  enemy 
be  conquered.' 

"Taking  Napoleon,  at  his  own  estimate  of  himself,  as 
expressed  in  his  own  analysis  of  his  own  tactics,  many 
admirers  of  Grant  would  not  be  unwilling  to  accept  a 
comparison  to  him  as  a  compliment.  'It  is  always  the 
most  obstinate  general,  and  the  one  who  can  stand  a 
larger  expenditure,  or  more  profuse  waste  of  men,  who 
gains  a  battle.'  What  a  contrast  does  this  confession 
present  to  the  principle  of  Turenne,  'to  economize  the 
blood  of  the  soldier'?  This  last  was  likewise  Vauban's 
cherished  sentiment,  lavish  brain  work,  economize  life ! 
and  what  is  the  result? 

"Turenne,  according  to  Napoleon's  own  admission,  was 
the  only  general  who  grew  greater  and  greater,  by  experi- 
ence, as  long  as  he  lived — greatest,  most  admired,  honored 


ESTIMATES  OF  MEN  193 

by  friend  and  opponent,  universally  lamented,  when  he 
fell.  The  same  as  regards  Vauban.  Whereas,  Napoleon 
was  never  so  great  as  at  his  rising.  In  the  earlier  stages 
of  his  career  he  triumphed  by  address,  afterward  by 
numbers ;  at  first,  by  consummate  skill,  at  last,  by  profuse 
waste  of  blood  and  overpowering  force,  annealed  into 
mass  by  iron  discipline. 

"Napoleon  often  justified  the  energetic  expression  of 
Kleber,  who  styled  him  ^a  general  at  6,000  men,  or  lives, 
a  day,'  The  nomades  of  Asia  had  produced  Napoleons; 
witness  Attila,  Genghis-Kahn,  Tamourlane;  yes,  the 
barbarian  races  of  Africa,  for  example,  Xingha-Bandi, 
Moselekatse,  whom  Moffat  in  his  South  Africa,  styles 
'the  Napoleon  of  the  Desert.'  Where,  on  the  other  hand, 
have  such  men  as  Gustavus,  Turenne,  Vauban,  Cohorn, 
Washington,  Wellington,  arisen,  but  in  the  bosom  of  the 
highest,  i.e.,  purest  phase  of  civilization?" 


13 


CHAPTER  XLV 

POWERS  OF   PEEDICTION" 

General  de  Peyster  was  remarkably  successful  in  fore- 
casting the  course  of  military  campaigns  and  their 
results.  Many  of  his  prophesies,  before  and  during  the 
Civil  War,  were  such  accurate  foreshadowings  of  what 
occurred,  that  they  seem  more  like  comments  after  the 
events.  He  displayed  his  astonishing  powers  of  predic- 
tion in  connection  with  all  the  wars  which  occurred  after 
he  had  begun  his  military  studies. 

In  1853,  returning  from  his  military  tours  in  Europe, 
he  excited  great  surprise  by  predicting  that,  before  thirty 
years  had  passed,  the  Prussians  would  be  back  in  Paris. 
When  we  recall  the  apparently  secure  eminence  on  which 
France  stood  in  the  year  1853,  and  the  weak  and  humble 
state  of  Prussia,  we  wonder  at  the  boldness  of  such  a 
forecast.  In  eighteen  years,  however,  the  prediction  was 
fulfilled.  Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Turkish  War  of 
1854-55  he  accurately  foreshadowed,  in  published  articles, 
the  triumph  of  the  Turks.  In  a  letter  to  Aristarchi  Bey, 
Minister  from  Turkey  to  the  United  States,  6  August, 
1877,  General  de  Peyster  refers  to  this. 

"Perhaps  there  is  not  another  man  in  this  country,"  he 
writes,  "who  knows  how  much  your  army  has  been  called 
upon  to  do,  in  Bosnia,  Montenegro,  Herzegovnia,  Servia, 
etc.,  how  well  it  was  done,  and  how  Montenegro  would 
have  been  subjugated,  long  since,  if  Austria  and  Russia 
had  not  interfered,  stirred  up,  and  aided  the  semi- 
savages.  I  wrote  for  a  military  journal  quite  a  long 
narrative  of  the  war  of  1828-1829,  and  believe  that  if 
the  Sultan  had  not  been  deceived  by  foreign  diplomats, 
in  1829,  as  to  the  state  of  the  Russian  army  at  Adria- 
nople,  Diebitsch  might  have  been  made  bitterly  to  regret 
that  he  ever  crossed  the  Balkans    (only  possible  after 

194 


POWEES  OF  PEEDICTION  195 

Varna  was  taken),  and  would  never  have  won  the  title 
of  'Tabalkausky.' 

''No  troops  ever  fought  better  than  the  Turkish,  under 
Omar  Pasha,  in  1854-1855.  My  predictions,  in  print, 
as  to  their  success  in  the  Servian  campaign,  were  verified 
to  the  letter.  At  Mr.  Hamersley's,  this  spring,  I 
offered  to  bet  a  dinner  for  the  whole  party,  twelve  or 
fourteen,  that  the  Eussians  would  not  winter  south  of 
the  Balkans,  or  get  to  Constantinople  in  two  years,  if  the 
Eussians  and  Turks  were  left  to  fight  it  out  between 
themselves.  I  did  not  dream,  at  that  time,  that  the 
Eoumanians,  after  so  many  terrible  lessons  as  they  have 
learned  at  the  Eussians'  hands,  would  again  allow 
themselves  to  be  made  a  cat's-paw." 

In  1859,  with  singular  accuracy,  General  de  Peyster 
predicted  the  course  and  result  of  the  Austro-French- 
Italian  war.  His  printed  articles,  of  that  period,  show 
that  he  foresaw  the  exact  series  of  occurrences. 

In  the  final  struggle  between  Grant  and  Lee,  just  before 
the  battle  of  Petersburg,  General  de  Peyster  was  asked 
by  a  prominent  editor  what  it  was  possible  for  Lee  to  do 
to  better  his  situation.  De  Peyster  replied,  "Punch 
Grant's  line  near  'Fort  Hell'  [Stedman]  !  If  made  with 
adequate  numbers,  this  sortie,  in  force,  can  get  possession 
of  Grant's  depots,  and  destroy  his  accumulated  supplies 
of  food,  ammunition,  and  other  material  at  City  Point. 
This,  at  least,  will  cause  great  delay,  and  such  a  blow 
may  have  incalculable  effects  upon  the  result."  A  few 
days  later  this  very  sortie,  made  by  Lee,  failed  only 
because  of  the  smallness  of  the  force  which  he  was 
enabled  to  employ. 

In  1864  the  editor-in-chief  of  the  New  York  Times 
expressed  a  conviction  that  the  ancient  Eomans  had  no 
medical  staff  connected  with  their  army.  General  de 
Peyster,  challenging  the  opinion,  was  told  that  it  was 
the  conclusion  reached  by  a  famous  professor,  who  main- 
tained that  if  a  medical  department  had  existed  in  his 
army,  Caesar  would  have  mentioned  the  fact  in  his  Com- 
mentaries.    "Does  Caesar  mention  camp  diseases  in  his 


196  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Commentaries?"  General  de  Peyster  replied.  "Yet  do 
you  suppose  his  soldiers  were  free  from  them?  I  will 
demonstrate  to  your  satisfaction  that  the  Eomans  had  a 
medical  department/' 

Military  common-sense  and  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  exigencies  of  military  operations  had  led  General  de 
Peyster  instantly  to  his  induction.  He  ransacked  ancient 
authorities.  The  results,  published  in  several  articles 
in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  treat  of  the  medical 
and  surgical  equipments  of  the  ancient  Eomans  and 
demonstrate  that  they  possessed  a  much  better  medical 
service  than  did  the  armies  of  mediaeval  Europe,  and  one 
superior  to  that  of  all  modern  armies  until  within  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  of  the  date  of  these  articles. 

At  the  very  inception  of  the  war  of  1866  between 
Prussia  and  Austria,  General  de  Peyster  not  merely 
foretold  its  results,  but,  weeks  before  the  event,  indicated 
the  place  where  the  final  battle  was  fought.  In  a 
remarkable  article  in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal  of 
4  May,  1867,  he  gave  an  accurate  forecast  of  the  war 
of  1870,  mapping  out  the  Prusso-Erench  campaign,  with 
its  scenes  and  results. 

In  the  winter  of  1870-71,  asked  by  a  journalist  to 
express  an  opinion  as  to  the  conduct  of  the  Franco- 
German  war,  he  replied  by  suggesting  the  strategy  which 
Von  Moltke  soon  after  employed.  In  a  letter  written 
the  day  before  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Sedan  had  reached 
America,  he  predicted  the  result,  as  already  he  had 
previously  done  in  an  article  printed  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail.  The  following  letter  to  General  de 
Peyster  from  Colonel  J.  M.  Bundy,  editor  of  the  Mail, 
dated  13  December,  1872,  refers  to  this  prediction, 

"I  am  sorry  you  have  lost  my  letter,  congratulating 
you  on  your  wonderfully  accurate  prediction  of  the 
French  disaster  at  Sedan — written  (my  letter,  and  not 
your  prediction)  just  after  the  event.  I  recollect  both 
the  letter  and  the  cause  of  it — because,  in  an  article 
which  you  wrote  for  the  Mail,  you  foretold,  with  consid- 
erable detail,  the  exact  result  of  Sedan.     I  never  knew 


POWEES  OF  PEEDICTION  197 

a  great  event  so  accurately  foreshadowed.  It  was 
because,  with  the  Germans,  war  was  an  exact  science. 
You  penetrated  their  game  and  the  FrcQch  weakness  so 
well  that  you  were  safe  in  your  prophecy.  It  was  not 
kick  or  guess  work  on  your  part." 

"As  to  the  Eusso-Turkish  war,"  writes  General  de 
Peyster  in  a  letter  to  Major-General  Humphreys,  7 
August,  1877,  ''my  predictions  are  coming  out  as  cor- 
rectly as  they  have  in  regard  to  every  war  which  has 
occurred  since  I  began  to  study  military  matters,  showing, 
as  Napoleon  said,  war  is  not  an  uncertain  science,  in 
everything  to  which  science  will  apply.  Brute  strength 
will  conquer  skill,  even  in  boxing,  whenever  weight,  force, 
and  training  are  opposed  to  inferior  physical  power, 
however  skilled.  War  is  like  whist ;  luck  rules  the  game ; 
but  give  a  skilled  player  an  ordinary  'hand,'  and  he  will 
beat  the  usual  run,  with  far  better  cards. 

"Chess  is  the  only  game  of  pure  skill.  It  has  been 
used  as  the  best  simile  of  war,  but  it  is  a  very  unjust 
one.  In  chess  the  board  is  always  the  same,  the  pieces 
the  same,  and  the  start  is  equal ;  whereas  in  war,  human 
passions  come  in,  the  ground  is  constantly  changing;  the 
stomach,  the  seasons,  and  the  finances,  are  indispensable 
considerations.  The  forces  are  never  equal,  and  the 
starting  point  and  the  start  are  always  incalculably 
advantageous,  for  one  side  or  the  other. 

"In  fact,  it  must  be  so,  for  if  proverbs  are  the  wisdom 
of  nations,  there  is  one  proverb  the  same  in  all  languages. 
It  is,  'The  first  blow  is  half  the  battle.'  " 

As  our  Civil  War  progressed  it  became  perfectly  clear 
to  General  de  Peyster  that  the  old  Napoleonic  conception 
of  infantry  attacks  in  columns  of  brigades  was  doomed 
to  pass  away  with  the  use  of  the  better  arms  and  field 
works  of  modern  warfare.  In  articles  which  appeared 
in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal  of  1865-66,  he  maintained 
that  the  infantry  fighting  of  the  future  would  be  by 
means  of  single  lines  of  men,  following  one  another  at 
some  distance — a  succession  of  skirmish  lines.  These 
ideas  were  adopted  by  the  armies  of  the  civilized  world. 


198  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

General  de  Peyster's  articles  on  the  subject,  referred  to 
in  the  Edinburgh  Review  of  January,  1866,  were  trans- 
lated and  printed  in  Correord's  "Journal  des  Sciences 
Militaires,"  published  in  Paris.  A  French  officer  formu- 
lated them  into  a  system,  in  succeeding  years  the  theory 
was  improved,  and  it  has  since  been  widely  employed  on 
exercise  fields  and  in  battle. 

In  the  judgment  of  the  writer  the  most  striking  illus- 
tration of  General  de  Peyster's  correct  grasp  of  military 
situations  is  found  in  his  general  outline,  in  1861,  of  the 
strategy  which  the  North  ought  to  employ  against  the 
South.  His  ideas  were  roughly  thrown  together  in  reply 
to  a  letter  from  his  cousin.  General  Kearny,  written 
from  Episcopal  Seminary,  near  Alexandria,  Virginia,  8 
December,  1861. 

"I  am  disappointed  that  the  sad  illness  of  your  brother- 
in-law  called  you  home,"  Kearny  wrote.  "I  know  you 
well.  You  have  certain  great  talents.  I  point  you  out 
a  path  of  distinction,  viz. : 

"Come  and  visit  all  points;  collect  all  information  of 
ourselves,  and  as  to  probable  points  of  occupation  by  the 
other  side  (for  we  have  no  news  of  the  enemy) — and  in 
ten  days'  time  make  out  from  it  a  plan  of  campaign. 
Your  plan  may  not  be  the  best,  but  I  think  your  talent 
in  discovering  information,  and  collecting,  is  so  great 
that  it  will  be  superior  to  anyone  else's. 

"We  have  no  strong  men  among  our  Generals, 
from  their  want  of  force  of  mind  in  collating  relative 
bearing  of  information. 

"Your  plan  Avould  at  least  enable  the  Government  to 
submit  it  to  some  foreign  French  General.  I  am  in  favor 
of  sending  for  one  of  them,  because  I  find  that  General 
McClellan  is  too  distrustful  of  bis  forces  (since  Baker's 
affair)  to  adapt  the  true  key-point  in  strategy." 

"I  have  suggested  plans  upon  plans  to  different 
officers,"  wrote  General  de  Peyster  in  reply,  "pointed 
out  strategic  key-points,  and  what  has  been  the  invariable 
answer?  That  while,  strategically,  I  am  right,  the 
quality   of   our  troops  prevents  the   execution   of  real 


VI  U  >  V  ' 


•'•tgSi- 


JOHN   WATTS   DE    PEYSTER 
From  a  Photograph  taken    in   December,   1896 


POWEKS  OF  PEEDICTION  199 

military  operations.  That  is,  not  the  quality,  but  the 
estimate  made  by  the  generals  of  the  quality.  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  you  do  in  your  letter  to  me,  that 
he  to  whom  you  allude*  has  no  faith  in  the  trustworthiness 
of  his  troops.  But  will  they  become  better  by  inaction? 
Force  is  acquired  by  movement.  *  *  * 

"Again,  what  is  the  use  of  plans  when  every  third 
man  is  lukewarm  or  a  traitor,  every  second,  a  babbler? 
A  plan,  to  succeed,  must  be  secret.  If  a  movement  is 
to  be  made,  and  the  enemy  learn  it  before  we  are  ready 
to  execute  it,  the  fact  that  we  have  a  fixed  plan  is  rather 
detrimental,  because  the  enemy  can  counteract  it,  knowing 
it  to  be  fixed.  *  *  * 

"I  do  not  think  we  can  operate  in  safety  from  in  front 
of  Washington  now  unless  our  forces  are  as  three  to  one. 
Masters  of  the  sea,  we  can  leave  sufficient  troops  to  defend 
the  line  of  the  Potomac,  and  strike  terrific  blows  in  other 
quarters — if  we  can  retain  a  large  Confederate  army  in 
face  of  our  lines  at  Washington,  disquieting  them  con- 
tinually, so  that  they  cannot  afford  to  weaken  their  army 
of  observation,  fixing  their  attention,  while  we  disengage 
large  army  corps  for  movements  elsewhere.  We  are 
placing  the  Ee])els  in  front  of  Washington  in  the  same 
position  that  the  Eussians  occupied,  relatively  to  the 
Allies,  at  Sebastopol.  Virginia  will  soon  be  exhausted. 
The  winter  and  want  will  do  the  work  of  the  sword. 
But  then  we  must  shelter  our  troops,  and  render  our 
lines  unattackable.     This  can  be  easily  done, 

"I  think  our  field  works — in  many  cases,  very  unscien- 
tific as  to  location — command  a  mutual  cover.  A  system 
like  Eoguiat's  lines  are  better  than  isolated  forts,  unless 
these  forts  can  command  everything  within  common 
range  and  mutually  protect  each  other  by  cross  fires,  as 
do  squares  disposed  checkwise. 

"If  we  can  keep  the  enemy's  attention  fixed  upon 
Washington,  which  a  proportionate  force  will  effect,  all 
we  have  to  do  is  to  open  the  Potomac,  and  we  can  supply 


•McClellan. 


200  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

our  troops  so  much  more  cheaply  than  the  Eebpls  can 
maintain  theirs  that  to  nourish  a  very  large  army  there 
will  exhaust  the  Confederate  States.  Meanwhile,  we 
must  not  be  idle.  Possessed  of  ample  marine  transport, 
the  whole  South  is  open  to  us.  From  Bull's  Bay,  they 
tell  me  (that  is,  persons  conversant  with  the  coast), 
Charleston  is  open  to  an  army  of  twenty  or  thirty 
thousand  men.  From  Albemarle  Sound,  with  vessels  of 
light  draft  of  water,  an  army  can  land,  take,  or  at  least 
destroy  Norfolk,  and  move  on  Eichmond,  carrying  all 
the  enemy's  works  in  the  rear.  If  the  Eebels  withdraw 
troops  from  before  Washington  to  defend  the  menaced 
points,  they  lay  themselves  open  to  an  attack  from 
Washington. 

"To  me  our  movements  hitherto  have  seemed  a  chain 
of  misapprehensions  of  the  principles  of  war.  Two 
months  ago  a  regiment  could  have  occupied  Mathias 
Point,  and,  in  a  field  work,  have  maintained  themselves, 
with  the  assistance  of  our  gunboats,  and  have  kept  open 
the  Potomac.  We  have  shown  ourselves  throughout  blind 
to  the  advantages  of  key-points. 

"Last  spring  I  demonstrated  the  necessity  of  a  direct 
railroad  communication  with  the  heart  of  Pennsylvania, 
which  would  have  united  Washington  with  a  network  of 
railroads  conducting  our  supplies  from  their  sources. 
One-half  the  troops  scattered  in  Maryland  would  have 
sufficed  to  hold  Baltimore — that  is,  one-half  the  troops 
scattered  along  a  circuitous  route.  A  flying  corps  would 
have  protected  the  new  route,  and  the  diminished  expense 
of  bringing  forward  supplies  would  have  gone  a  great 
way  toward  defraying  the  expense  of  the  road.  The  very 
money  we  have  wasted  on  useless  works,  constructed  in 
violation  of  strategy,  or  could  have  economized  from 
expenditures  inexcusable  at  this  crisis,  would  have  built 
that  road. 

"I  consider  the  Baker  affair  the  worst  which  has 
occurred.  It  was  conceived,  as  I  read,  unsoldierly,  and 
executed  in  \iolation  of  every  military  rule.  *  *  *  If  I 
were  in  command  of  Banks',  or  any  so-situated  column, 


POWERS  OF  PEEDICTION  201 

I  should  insist  that  all  orders  should  be  sent  in  cipher, 
and  confined  to  the  General-in-Chief  and  myself. 

"After  Bull  Eun  politics  was  to  have  nothing  to  do 
with  our  appointments.  Our  actions  were  a  falsehood 
to  that  promise.  AVe  should  have  waited  to  try  our 
officers  before  we  made  them  generals,  and  now  we  have 
over  a  hundred  brigadier-generals,  the  greater  part, 
however  able  they  may  show  themselves,  altogether 
untried.  Have  we  not  applauded  blunders,  miscarriages 
and  defeats?  Would  Xapoleon,  Frederick  or  Gustavus 
have  left  men  in  prominent  commands  who,  however 
brave,  had  shown  want  of  ability? 

"Nature  has  pointed  out  the  best  plan.  Providence 
has  blessed  us  with  the  means  of  carrying  it  out.  The 
sea  is  the  element  of  our  strength.  When  Scipio 
intended  to  conquer  Hannibal,  he  struck  his  blow  at  the 
gate  of  Carthage.  *  *  *  How  is  it  England,  with  its 
infernally  bad  generals,  has  so  often  come  out  successful  ? 
It  was  the  command  of  the  sea !  It  afforded  the  oppor- 
tunities of  striking  unexpected  blows;  it  multiplied  her 
communications  in  case  of  success.  With  England  the 
fountain  head  of  supply,  the  lines  of  supply  and 
reenforcement,  were  always  open. 

"These  are  my  views,  as  hastily  thrown  together  as 
the  pen  will  run.^' 

The  strategy  here  suggested  is  an  application  of  the 
anaconda  system.  During  the  war  General  de  Peyster 
defended  this  plan  at  a  time  when,  to  the  superficial 
view  of  others,  deceived  and  discouraged  by  temporary 
reverses,  it  seemed  a  hopeless  failure.  In  his  "Practical 
Strategy,"  published  in  186-3,  he  says : 

"The  anaconda  system,  once  so  vaunted,  now  as  much 
reviled,  which  often  succeeds  against  a  rebellion,  partic- 
ularly when  that  rebellion  has  elements  of  discord  within 
itself,  is  nothing  more  than  one  application  of  practical 
— efficiently  operative — strategy.  Nevertheless,  to  suc- 
ceed, its  force  must  be  exerted  just  as  the  monster  snake 
applies  its  powers.  *  *  *  At  first,  everyone  was  in  favor 
of    what    was    termed    the    anaconda    strategy;    now, 


203  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

everybody  is  against  it.  *  *  *  But  if  the  anaconda 
system  did  not  succeed,  even  apparently,  why  did  it  fail? 
Because  those  who  undertook  to  apply  it  did  not  study 
and  imitate  the  action  of  the  anaconda  itself. 

"The  colossal  reptile  does  not  simply  encircle  its  prey 
with  an  inert,  fiacid  coil,  and  bring  its  strength  to  bear 
in  spasmodic,  dislocated  efforts,  but  as  soon  as  the  object 
of  its  attack  is  begirt  with  its  tremendous  contractile 
folds,  it  exerts  that  force  with  terrible,  simultaneous, 
persistent  intensity,  and  keeps  up  the  pressure,  equally 
and  ever>nivhere,  until  all  the  power  of  resistance  is 
extinct,  and  its  prey  is  crushed  into  an  inert  mass,  fitted 
to  be  swallowed  up,  to  nourish  and  to  recuperate,  for  new 
efforts,  the  very  power  which  destroyed  it. 

"So  should  our  anaconda  of  armies  and  fleets  have 
acted,  and  so  should  the  Xorth  still  continue  to  act,  until 
the  South  is  crushed  into  a  submission  which  can  not 
present  any  form  or  consistence  to  prevent  the  North  from 
molding. its  future  according  to  its  will  and  pleasure,  and 
thus  derive,  from  its  transformed  condition,  adequate 
resources  to  meet  new  enemies  at  home  or  abroad. 

"In  one  respect,  however,  our  anaconda  system,  let 
quid-nuncs  argue  what  they  will,  did  not  fail,'  for  what 
could  have  been  accomplished  had  not  the  blockading 
squadrons  completed  and  maintained  its  coil?" 

Masked  behind  many  blunders  and  vacillating 
purposes,  the  grand  strategy  which  General  de  Peyster 
advocated  was  that  which  actually  gave  to  the  North  its 
victory  in  arms.     A  brief  review  will  make  this  clear. 

Throughout  1861  we  keep  the  flower  of  the  Confed- 
erate soldiery,  the  Army  of  Virginia,  manoeuvring  about 
Washington.  It  scores  one  fruitless  victory — Bull  Eun. 
This  triumph  really  injures  the  Confederate  morale. 
Yielding  no  strategic  advantage,  it  deludes  with  the  false 
hope  of  an  easy  conquest.  To  the  North  the  defeat 
comes  as  a  blessing  in  disguise.  While  it  shocks  and 
humiliates  our  pride,  it  opens  our  eyes,  hardens  our 
resolution,  prepares  us  for  the  mighty  sacrifice  of  men 
and  treasure  necessary  to  save  the  Union, 


POWEES  OF  PEEDICTION  203 

In  holding  the  Army  of  Virginia  near  Washington,  at 
the  cost  of  Bull  Eun,  what  are  we  enabled  to  accomplish 
elsewhere?  Believing  Maryland,  Kentucky  and  Missouri 
will  secede,  the  South  has  planned  to  seize  the  Ohio  river 
and  all  territory  south  of  it.  Our  first  campaigns 
shatter  this  hope. 

The  Union  troops,  thrown  into  Maryland,  strangling 
its  movement  toward  secession,  tear  this  fair  State  from 
the  Confederacy.  Blair,  Lyon  and  Pope  do  as  much  for 
Missouri.  Kentuck)^  too,  we  save  from  secession,  mili- 
tarily occupying  its  northern  parts.  Still  more,  West 
Virginia,  seceding  from  secession,  becomes  a  Union  State, 
and  by  victorious  blows  McClellan  and  Eosecrans  hurl 
the  Confederates  over  its  borders.  On  the  sea,  our  extem- 
porized navy,  growing  like  a  mushroom,  more  and  more 
vigorously  enforces  a  blockade  of  the  Southern  coast. 

At  the  end  of  1861  the  anaconda  of  our  ISTorthern 
armies  constricts  the  Confederacy  in  a  tight  fold.  The 
South  no  longer  trades  with  the  manufacturing  East 
and  the  agricultural  West.  She  cannot  send  her  cotton 
to  Europe  and  draw  supplies  thence.  Even  the  border 
States,  with  their  fertile  fields,  are  wrested  from  her. 
She  groans.  Her  own  armies,  like  locusts,  devour  her 
fatness. 

The  year  1862  sees  our  coil  drawn  tighter.  The 
police-marine,  along  the  entire  seaboard,  becomes  so 
effective  as  to  confine  blockade-running  to  the  ports  of 
Charleston  and  Wilmington.  Fort  Macon,  Beaufort, 
Eoanoke  Island,  Elizabeth  City,  N'ew  Berne,  fall  into 
our  hands — practically  all  the  coast  of  North  Carolina. 
We  take  Tybee  Island  and  Fort  Pulaski,  commanding 
the  entrance  to  Savannah.  Still  more  important,  we 
seize  'New  Orleans,  35  April.  Three  days  later  its  forts, 
Jackson  and  St.  Philip's,  surrender. 

Meanwhile,  Thomas  and  Garfield  drive  the  Confed- 
erates from  Central  and  Eastern  Kentucky,  Grant  captures 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Pope  takes  ISTew  Madrid  and 
Island  Number  Ten.  Columbus,  Bowling  Green,  and 
Nashville,  made  untenable,  are  evacuated  by  the  enemy. 


204  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Our  compressing  cordon  is  advanced  from  Central  Ken- 
tucky to  Southern  Tennessee. 

A  little  later  we  win  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  force  the 
evacuation  of  Corinth  and  Fort  Pillow,  and  capture 
Memphis.  The  Mississippi,  already  ours  below  Vicks- 
burg,  we  now  seize  in  its  entire  length  from  Vicksburg 
north.  Our  constricting  coil  passes  through  Northern 
Mississippi. 

Considering  that  our  success  in  holding  the  best 
fighting  blood  of  the  South  near  Washington  is  what 
leaves  us  free  thus  to  operate  elsewhere,  what  price  do 
we  pay  for  these  immense  strategic  gains?  The  failure 
of  McClellan's  Peninsular  campaign,  the  failure  of  Pope's 
campaign,  and  Fredericksburg! 

The  South,  at  the  time,  claims  these  as  glorious 
victories,  offsetting  our  successes;  but  they  are  fruitless 
triumphs.  They  yield  the  Confederacy  no  strategic 
advantage.  In  McClellan's  and  Pope's  campaigns  we 
are  the  aggressors.  Invading  Southern  territory,  we 
are  simply  rebuffed — pushed  back  across  our  borders, 
with  our  armies  intact,  after  having  inflicted  losses  more 
irreparable  to  the  South  than  ours  are  to  us. 

Indeed,  Lee  loses  six  thousand  men  to  our  five  thousand 
at  Fair  Oaks,  and  twenty  thousand  to  our  sixteen 
thousand  in  the  Seven  Days'  fight.  Nor  is  there  any 
reason  for  our  retreat,  apart  from  the  incapacity  of 
McClellan,  the  timidity  of  the  Administration,  and  the 
stupidity  and  pig-headedness  of  Halleck.  Petersburg 
and  Richmond  should  have  been  taken. 

In  Pope's  campaign  our  losses  are  heavier — fourteen 
thousand  to  Lee's  nine  thousand.  Yet,  in  proportion  to 
her  resources  and  population,  the  balance  is  heavily 
against  the  South.  A  score  of  such  victories  must  prove 
fatal,  the  Southern  armies  perishing  in  their  triumphs. 

Yet  even  such  sacrifices — with  the  blundering  assault 
of  Marye's  Heights,  Fredericksburg — might  have  been 
avoided,  and  Lee  still  held  in  Virginia,  had  General  de 
Peyster's  Fabian  policy  been  more  closely  followed.  He 
proposed  to  "shelter  our  troops,"  to  "render  our  lines 


POWERS  OF  PREDICTION  205 

unattackable,"  to  fight  in  the  open  when  we  had  "three 
to  one,"  while  yet,  by  demonstrations,  ''disquieting  them 
continually,  so  that  they  cannot  afford  to  weaken  their 
army  of  observation." 

If  not  with  such  skilful  strategy  as  General  de  Peyster 
proposed,  yet  with  bloody  battles  and  stupid  manoeuvres 
we  keep  Lee  in  Virginia;  and  de  Peyster's  prophecy — 
"Virginia  will  soon  be  exhausted:  the  winter  and  want 
will  do  the  work  of  the  sword" — is  soon  fulfilled. 

Early  in  1862,  in  fact,  the  South  reveals  symptoms  of 
deep  distress  under  the  awful  strain  of  our  enfolding 
strategy.  Her  thinning  ranks  are  filled  by  conscription, 
16  April.  Her  finances  are  in  straits,  her  credit  low, 
her  paper  currency  fallen  to  three  dollars  for  one  in  gold. 
Her  food-producing  regions  are  restricted,  her  commerce 
with  the  outside  world  cut  off.  Her  ill-clothed  armies 
are  hungry,  her  people  in  want. 

The  Confederacy  had  proclaimed  a  policy  of  strict 
defence.  "All  we  ask,''  said  Jefferson  Davis,  "is  to  be 
let  alone."  But  in  her  distress  she  seeks  to  burst  our 
bands  asunder  and  raid  our  fertile  territory.  Lee  pushes 
our  armies  out  of  Virginia,  but  when  he,  in  turn,  becomes 
invader,  we  strike  him — South  Mountain  and  Antietam — 
and  thrust  his  famished  columns  back  to  glean  from 
their  own  lean  fields  a  bare  subsistence. 

Bragg  by  a  similar  raid  in  Tennessee  and  Kentucky 
seeks  to  loosen  our  coil  at  the  West.  He  lasts  but  a  little 
longer  than  Lee.  Checked  at  Perryville,  8  October,  he 
retreats  through  Cumberland  Gap.  Returning  later  to 
besiege  Nashville,  he  receives  a  staggering  blow  at  Stone 
River,  31  December,  and  reels  back.  So,  too,  the  attempt 
of  Price  and  Van  I)orn,  to  break  our  hold  on  Northern 
Mississippi,  Rosecrans  foils  at  luka  and  Corinth,  19 
September  and  3  and  4  October. 

The  end  of  1862  sees  a  fearful  constriction  of  the 
panting  South  by  the  Northern  anaconda.  Each  frantic 
struggle  to  break  our  hold  but  tightens  the  coil  about 
the  writhing  victim. 

With  the  fall  of  Vicksburg,  in  1863,  we  completely 


206  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

encircle  the  more  important  Confederate  States.  The 
others,  Texas,  Arkansas  and  Louisiana,  are  isolated. 
This  is  the  most  vital  blow  of  the  war.  We  overrun  the 
State  of  Mississippi — our  coil  cuts  deeper  and  deeper. 

Another  master-stroke  is  the  capture  of  Chattanooga, 
the  gateway  to  Atlanta.  Its  importance  will  be  seen  the 
following  year,  when  through  it  we  pierce  to  the  heart  of 
the  South  in  our  final  strangle  hold.  The  Navy  of  1863 
hermetically  seals  every  Southern  port  on  the  Atlantic, 
with  the  single  exception  of  Wilmington. 

Viewing  our  operations  against  Lee's  army  as  the  price 
of  these  successes,  we  have  Chancellor sville  and  Gettys- 
burg in  the  account  for  1863.  Chancellorsville  is 
considered  a  southern  victory.  We  lose  seventeen 
thousand  men;  Lee  thirteen  thousand,  including  Stone- 
wall Jackson.  But  Lee  can  find  none  to  fill  the  places 
left  vacant  by  the  fall  of  liis  great  lieutenant  and  ragged, 
half-fed  heroes.  Famished  and  desperate  he  again 
invades  the  North,  to  be  rolled  back  at  Gettysburg.  Here 
twenty-two  thousand  five  hundred  brave  men  are  swept 
from  his  fading  ranks.     Our  loss  is  five  hundred  more. 

At  the  close  of  1863  the  South,  helpless,  weak,  and 
gasping,  lies  crushed  and  hopeless  under  our  fierce 
pressure.  We  have  hurled  her  from  Tennessee,  cut  o£E 
three  of  her  States,  and  from  both  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi are  compressing  the  severed  fragments.  The 
currency  of  the  South  has  fallen  five  to  one;  she  is  lean 
and  gaunt  through  famine;  both  food  and  men  are 
failing  her.  Her  armies,  having  devoured  her  vitals,  are 
gnawing  at  their  own. 

In  1864  our  shortened  coil  takes  a  new  purchase  upon 
its  victim,  never  to  be  relaxed  until  the  Confederacy  is 
dead.  Sherman  invades  the  South,  pushing  Johnston 
before  him,  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.  Lee,  pressed 
back  by  Grant,  is  shut  up  in  Petersburg  and  Eichmond. 

Hood,  superseding  Johnston,  but  not  for  the  better, 
makes  a  last  desperate  attempt  to  loosen  the  folds  we 
have  thrown  round  him.  Eepulsed  in  his  attacks  on 
Sherman,     he     leads     forty-four     thousand     famislied 


POWERS  OF  PEEDICTION"  207 

veterans  into  Tennessee.  He  reaches  Nashville  and  his 
army,  shivered  into  ungatherable  fragments  by  the 
double  blow  of  Thomas,  ceases  to  exist. 

Grant  relentlessly  holding  Lee,  Sherman  marches  from 
Atlanta  to  the  sea,  wheels,  and  marches  North.  The 
coil  narrows,  Grant  and  Sherman  drawing  it  together, 
with  Lee  and  Johnston  entangled  in  the  folds.  It  grows 
tighter  and  tighter,  through  the  winter  and  spring  of 
1864-65,  strangling  the  last  convulsive  shudders  of  the 
dying  South.  Lee  surrenders,  9  April;  Johnston,  seven- 
teen days  later.     The  Confederacy  is  no  more! 

The  grand  strategy  suggested  by  General  de  Peyster 
was  the  mighty  instrument  placed  by  God  in  the  hand 
of  the  North.  Although,  amid  the  din  and  confusion 
of  battle,  we  did  not  at  first  perceive  its  effectiveness,  an 
overruling  Providence,  shaping  all,  and  using  even  our 
very  blunders.  Himself  unerringly  directed  the  weapon 
He  had  given. 


BOOK  V 
BENEFACTIONS 


CHAPTEE  XLVI 

THE  LEAKE  AND  "WATTS  ORPHAN  HOUSE 

General  de  Peyster  gave  away  several  million  dollars, 
devoted  to  the  building  or  endowment  of  hospitals, 
homes,  schools,  churches,  libraries,  and  the  erection  of 
monuments  of  historic  and  artistic  interest.  His  library 
of  fifty  thousand  volumes,  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
possession  of  a  private  individual,  was  despoiled  by  gifts 
to  colleges,  scientific  or  historical  institutions,  and  public 
libraries.  Many  art  treasures  and  heirlooms,  inherited 
or  collected  by  him,  were  presented  to  public  museums. 

His  grandfather,  Hon.  John  Watts,  founded  the  Leake 
and  Watts  Orphan  House,  relinquishing  for  that  purpose 
a  large  inheritance.  Eobert  Leake  came  to  this  country 
from  England  in  the  eighteenth  century.  He  was  in 
1754  a  commissary  of  stores  connected  with  the  disastrous 
expedition  under  General  Braddock.  Subsequently 
settling  in  ISTew  York,  he  acted  as  Commissary-General 
for  the  Colonies  until  his  death.  He  acquired  great 
wealth,  which  eventually  passed  into  the  possession  of 
his  only  surviving  son,  John  George  Leake. 

A  life-long  friendship  existed  between  John  George 
Leake  and  John  Watts.  They  Avere  students  together 
in  the  law  oflQce  of  Judge  James  Duane,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  American  Jurists.  In  after  years  the 
families  were  allied  by  the  marriage  of  Robert  William 
Leake,  brother  of  John  George,  to  Margaret,  sister  of 
John  Watts.  Robert  William  Leake  died  a  few  years 
after  his  marriage,  leaving  a  son,  John  George,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eight  years. 

The  death  of  this  child  was  a  great  blow  to  John 
George  I^eake,  who  had  intended  to  make  him  his  heir. 
Toward  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  made  every  endeavor 
to  discover  relatives  in  England  or  Scotland,  but  without 

.211 


212  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

success.  By  his  will,  therefore,  he  left  his  entire  fortune 
to  Robert  Watts,  second  son  of  Jolin  Watts,  on  condi- 
tion that  the  legatee  should  thenceforward  bear  the  name 
of  Leake.  Should  he  decline  to  change  his  name,  the 
entire  fortune  was  to  be  used  for  the  establishment  of  a 
home  for  orphan  children.  Jolm  George  Leake  died,  2 
June,  1837,  at  his  residence,  32  Park  Eow,  opposite  the 
City  Hall  Park.  The  settlement  of  his  estate  was  long 
delayed  by  the  appearance  of  foreign  claimants,  all  of 
whom,  however,  were  discredited. 

Jolm  Watts  was  opposed  to  his  son's  acceptance  of  the 
terms  of  the  will,  and  Robert  refrained  from  speaking  of 
the  matter.  He,  however,  prepared  an  application  to  the 
Legislature,  asking  for  authority  to  take  the  name  of 
Leake.  Its  presentation  was  delayed  until  the  cessation 
of  litigation,  and  soon  after  the  final  decision  in  his 
favor,  Robert  Watts  died  of  congestion  of  the  lungs, 
following  a  severe  cold  contracted  during  a  game  of  ball. 
He  left  no  will  and  died  unmarried,  his  father  becoming 
his  heir. 

The  final  decision  of  the  courts  had  established  the 
will  as  a  transfer  of  personal  property  only,  and  the  real 
estate  escheated  to  the  State.  Upon  the  death  of  his  son, 
John  Watts,  then  more  than  eighty  years  of  age,  applied 
to  the  Legislature  for  authority  to  carry  out  the  terms 
of  the  will  in  regard  to  the  foundation  of  a  home  for 
orphans,  relinquishing  all  claim  to  the  estate.  Notwith- 
standing his  example,  the  State  refused  to  relinquish  its 
rights  and  never  has  given  any  aid  to  the  charity. 

On  7  March,  1831,  an  act  was  passed  for  the  incorpo- 
ration of  the  "Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House  in  the 
City  of  New  York."  On  22  March,  1831,  was  held  the 
first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  consisting  of 
Walter  Browne,  Mayor  of  New  York;  Richard  Ricker, 
Recorder;  Rev.  William  Berrian,  D.D.,  rector  of  Trinity 
Church;  Nehemiah  Rogers  and  Charles  McEvers, 
wardens  of  Trinity ;  Rev.  Gerardus  A.  Kuypers,  minister 
of  the  Dutch  Church  in  New  York,  and  Rev.  William 
Phillips,  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


THE  LEAKE-WATTS  OEPHAN  HOUSE    213 

In  1835,  a  year  before  the  death  of  John  Watts,  twenty 
acres  of  land  were  purchased  between  One  Hundred  and 
Tenth  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirteenth  streets  and  what 
is  now  Morningside  Avenue  and  Broadway,  in  the  dis- 
trict of  ISTew  York,  formerly  known  as  Bloomingdale. 
Upon  the  picturesque  cliff  whose  slopes  now  form  the 
beautiful  Morningside  Park  was  laid  the  cornerstone, 
28  April,  1838,  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House. 
The  dedicatory  address  was  made  by  Kev.  John  Knox, 
of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.     He  said,  in  part: 

"Among  the  renowned  heathen  of  antiquity  were  found 
the  enduring  monuments  of  power  and  pride  and  oppres- 
sion, of  selfishness  and  of  ambition;  but  of  mercy  to  the 
miserable,  not  one.  And,  after  the  lapse  of  so  many 
centuries,  wherever  the  influence  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
is  unfelt,  no  salt  has  been  cast  into  the  bitter  fountains 
of  the  heart.  Its  sweet  sympathies  are  all  dried  up. 
The  poor  and  the  wretched  are  trodden  in  the  dust; 
infanticide  prevails;  the  aged  and  helpless  are  put  out 
of  the  way,  or  left  miserably  to  perish ;  man  is  brutalized. 
While  in  lands  truly  Christian,  efforts,  individual  and 
combined,  in  every  form,  are  employed  to  prevent,  to 
mitigate,  and  to  remove  human  wretchedness. 

'''With  the  growth  of  the  city,  the  wants  of  the  destitute 
have  multiplied;  and  now,  through  the  liberal,  wisely 
directed  munificence  of  an  opulent  citizen,  this  blessed 
enterprise  is  called  into  being,  and  the  names  of  John 
G.  Leake  and  John  Watts  will  be  held  in  perpetual 
remembrance  as  distinguished  benefactors  of  mankind. 
This  endowment  comes,  not  by  force  of  law,  or  by  any 
other  human  constraint,  but  by  a  moral  impulse  of 
mightier  energy  than  these." 

The  institution  was  opened  for  the  reception  of 
orphans  15  November,  1843.  Since  its  inception,  it  has 
cared  for  some  two  thousand  children.  The  original 
site,  in  what  was  once  the  quaint  old  village  of  Blooming- 
dale, — on  the  high  land  overlooking  the  beautiful  valley 
of  the  Harlem  River,  the  old  town  of  Harlem,  the  Sound, 
and  the  distant  shores  of  Long  Island, — was  in  the  most 


214  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

healthful  part  of  Manhattan  Island.  In  1891  the 
Orphan  House  was  removed  to  Yonkers.  The  new 
grounds  comprise  thirty  acres  in  the  cities  of  New  York 
and  Yonkers,  the  buildings  being  in  the  latter,  although 
the  land  is  partl}^  -w'ithin  the  City  of  New  York.  The 
beautiful  grounds,  adjacent  to  those  of  Mount  St. 
Vincent  Academy,  extend  to  the  Hudson  River.  The 
New  York  Tribune,  23  February,  1890,  described  the 
new  building  just  before  its  completion. 

"The  home  will  be  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
by  one  hundred  feet,  and  four  stories  in  height.  The 
basement  and  first  floor  will  be  of  Potsdam  stone,  the 
two  floors  above  of  brick,  and  the  roof  of  terra-cotta. 
The  trimmings  will  also  be  of  Potsdam  stone.  In  the 
middle  will  be  a  large  ornamental  square  tower,  and 
the  ends  will  be  built  L-shaped.  There  will  be  four 
staircases  and  an  octagonal  tower,  which  will  be  used 
for  a  fire-escape.  Although  inside  the  building,  the 
latter  will  be  built  entirel}'^  separate  from  it,  so  that  by 
careful  training  the  children  could  be  removed  in  case 
of  fire  without  panic. 

"The  main  hall  will  be  an  architectural  gem.  The 
columns  which  will  support  the  stairway  will  be  of 
Corinthian  design,  and,  with  the  arches,  will  be  built 
of  yellow  limestone.  The  dining-room,  which  will  be  in 
the  rear,  overlooking  the  river,  will  be  built  out  from  the 
main  building,  and  will  measure  sixty-two  by  thirty-four 
feet.  It  will  have  a  fine  semi-circular  window  and  will 
be  a  cheerful  room.  On  the  same  floor  is  the  main 
classroom,  which  is  one  hundred  by  thirty  feet.  The 
basement  will  be  used  for  kitchens,  washrooms,  and  lava- 
tories; the  ground  floor  for  reception,  teachers'  and 
classrooms,  and  dining-hall,  and  the  two  upper  floors  for 
dormitories  and  classrooms." 

General  de  Peyster  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
honored  grandfather  in  his  gifts  to  the  Orphan  House. 
In  the  main  entrance  hall  and  reception  room  are  many 
beautiful  paintings,  bronzes,  and  pieces  of  statuary, 
transferred   from   his   city   and   country   homes.     They 


THE  LEAKE-WATTS  ORPHAN  HOUSE    215 

include  portraits  of  the  founders,  John  Watts  and  John 
George  Leake,  marble  and  bronze  busts  of  General  de 
Peyster,  a  painting  of  the  Holy  Family  by  Eubens,  three 
beautiful  pieces  of  marble  statuary,  two  very  old  and 
valuable  watercolors,  and  an  organ  made  by  the  George 
Astor  Company,  the  last  three  being  heirlooms  inherited 
by  General  de  Peyster  from  his  grandfather.  Near  the 
entrance  to  the  grounds  is  a  beautiful  bronze  statue  of 
Hon.  John  Watts,  also  presented  by  his  grandson. 

"The  Trustees  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House 
at  their  stated  meeting  yesterday  directed  me  to  write 
to  you  and  thank  you  on  their  behalf  for  your  valuable 
gifts  of  three  pictures  and  a  marble  statue  to  the  Institu- 
tion at  Yonkers,"  wrote  Eev.  Dr.  Morgan  Dix,  President 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  to  General  de  Peyster,  16  May, 
1900.  "These  works  of  art  are  highly  appreciated  and 
we  are  sensible  of  your  kindness  in  making  us  their 
possessors."  Other  donations  were  acknowledged  26 
February,  1896,  by  Mr.  King,  Clerk,  pro  tem.,  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Leake  &  Watts' 
Orphan  House,"  he  wrote,  "held  at  the  residence  of  the 
Eev.  Dr.  Dix,  27  West  25th  Street,  your  two  letters 
bearing  date  January  30th  and  February  5th  were  read 
and  the  bust  of  your  respected  father,  late  Frederick  de 
Peyster,  who  for  more  than  sixty  years  was  Clerk  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  was  accepted  with  the  thanks  of  the 
Board,  and  it  will  be  duly  placed  on  a  proper  pedestal 
in  a  conspicuous  and  honorable  place,  within  the  building 
of  the  Institution. 

"In  regard  to  the  portrait  of  little  Johnny  Leake,  they 
also  will  accept  the  same,  and  I  am  instructed  to  send 
you  their  thanks  for  it ;  it  will  be  hung  in  the  Trustees' 
room  and  a  proper  brass  plate,  duly  engraved,  stating 
that  you  are  the  donor,  *  *  *  afifixed  to  it.  The  Board 
appreciate  your  kindness  in  giving  them  a  picture  by 
Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  as  well  as  of  your  relative.  *  *  * 

"We  are  at  work  trying  to  increase  the  classes  of 
manual  training  at  the  Institution,  the  better  to  fit  the 


316  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

orphans  for  their  work  hereafter,  and  if  you  would  come 
down  to  the  Institution  I  would  be  very  glad  to  meet 
you  there  some  day  and  show  you  what  has  been  accom- 
plished, and  how  much  more  might  be  done  if  we  could 
afford  to  erect  a  few  more  buildings,  which  are  sadly 
needed/' 

This  appeal  for  aid  did  not  fall  on  deaf  ears.  General 
de  Peyster  gave  the  Orphan  House  a  new  building,  a 
large  Annex,  erected  in  memory  of  his  mother  and  grand- 
mother.    A  simple  tablet  bears  the  following  inscription : 

This  Annex  to  the 

Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House, 

Originally  Founded  and  Endowed  by 

JOHN  WATTS, 

was  Erected  as  a  Memorial  of  his  Youngest  Child, 

My  Mother, 

Justina  Mary, 

Born  26th  October,  1801 ;  Died  38th  July,  1821, 

Wife  of  Frederic  de  Peyster, 

for  50  years  Clerk  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  L.  &  W.  0.  H., 

and  of  her  Mother, 

Jane  de  Lancey  Watts, 

Born  5th  September,  1756;  Died  2nd  March,  1809. 

"1  call  to  Remembrance  the  Unfeigned  Faith 

which  Dwelt  first  in  thy  Grandmother,  Lois, 

[Famous  Holiness],  and  thy  Mother,   Eunice 

[Happy  Victory]."  (2  Timothy,  L,  5.) 

by 

John  Watts  de  Peyster. 
The  De  Peyster  Annex  is  admirably  equipped  for  the 
instruction  of  the  cliildren  in  many  useful  branches, 
including  sewing,  cooking,  manual  training  and  carpen- 
try, and  is  provided  with  playrooms  and  a  gymnasium. 
The  work  in  carpentry  is  remarkably  well  done,  entire 
rooms  inside  the  building,  and  pagodas  and  windmills 
outside,  having  been  constructed  by  the  boys.  The  girls 
are  trained  in  household  work.  A  uniformed  band  has 
been  inaugurated,  and  the  children  greatly  enjoy  its 
music.     Out-of-door  work  is  encouraged,  each  child  being 


(  1 


ElftANOi* 


STATUE   OF  JOHN  WATTS,   JUNIOR,  IN  TRINITY  CHURCHYARD,   NEW  YORK 
John   Watts   de   Peyster,   donor ;    George    E.    Bissell,    sculptor 


THE  LEAKE-WATTS  ORPHAN  HOUSE    217 

given  a  garden  plot  where  vegetables  and  fruits  are  raised 
during  the  summer. 

General  de  Peyster  also  gave  the  Orphan  House  a 
number  of  valuable  lots  in  the  City  of  New  York  near 
Morningside  Park.  The  following  resolutions  were 
passed  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  accept- 
ance of  the  gift: 

"I,  Charles  L.  Jones,  Clerk  of  the  Leake  and  "Watts 
Orphan  House,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  following  is 
a  copy  of  the  resolutions  passed  at  a  Special  Meeting 
of  the  Trustees  of  the  Leake  &  Watts  Orphan  House,  held 
February  15th,  1901. 

"RESOLVED,  That  the  Trustees  of  the  Leake  &  Watts 
Orphan  House  have  received  with  much  gratification  the 
communication  of  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  dated 
February  7th,  1901,  in  which  he  proposes  to  convey  to 
this  Institution  real  estate  valued  at  $200,000,  as  a  gift. 

"RESOLVED,  That  the  Trustees  of  the  Leake  &  Watts 
accept  either  of  the  two  propositions  contained  in  the 
above-mentioned  communication  and  will  comply  with 
the  conditions  therein  attached  to  the  proposed  gift;  but 
that  the  first  proposition  of  the  two,  offering  to  convey 
to  the  Leake  &  Watts  Orphan  House  a  certain  plot  of 
ground  situated  on  Columbus  Avenue,  New  York  City, 
would,  in  their  Judgment,  be  the  more  advantageous  to 
this  Institution. 

"RESOLVED,  That  whenever  the  above-mentioned 
property  shall  be  sold  the  proceeds  of  such  sale  shall  be 
set  aside  to  constitute  a  special  fund  known  as  the  John 
Watts  de  Peyster  Fund.  The  annual  income  of  the  same 
to  be  used  solely  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  the 
inmates  of  the  Orphan  House. 

"RESOLVED,  That  the  Trustees  are  glad  to  recognize 
the  continued  interest  of  General  de  Peyster  in  the 
Orphan  House  which  was  founded  by  his  Grandfather 
and  of  which  he  has  already  been  a  liberal  benefactor. 

"RESOLVED,  That  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coe  be  requested  to 
communicate  to  General  de  Peyster  this  action  of  the 
Board." 


218  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

When  over  eighty  years  of  age  General  de  Peyster 
deeded  to  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House  his  home 
of  "Rose  Hill."  The  deed  describes  the  estate  as  "All 
that  landed  property,  domain  or  country  seat,  situated 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Hudson  Eiver  in  the  township 
of  Eed  Hook,  Duchess  County,  N.  Y.,  known  as  'Eose 
Hill/  (so  named  after  original  spacious  and  elegant  home 
and  domain  of  the  Watts,  ancestors  of  the  party  of  the 
first  part,  once  near  and  afterward  in  the  city  of  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  since  destroyed)  purchased  from  Eugene 
A.  Livingston  and  subsequently  added  to  by  later  pur- 
chases, the  whole  remainder  thereof  being  now  conveyed." 
General  de  Peyster  reserved  to  himself  the  occupancy  of 
the  estate  during  his  lifetime.  In  his  letter  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees  he  stated  that  he  wished  the  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  "Eose  Hill"  to  be  used  solely  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  children,  but  in  case  the  management  should  so  desire, 
it  might  be  used  as  an  additional  Home.  By  his  will 
General  de  Peyster  made  another  magnificent  gift  to  the 
Orphan  House — an  endowment  fund  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

HOSPITALS   AND   SCHOOLS 

A  famous  physician  of  colonial  times  pronounced  the 
mountainous  country  of  Duchess  County,  New  York,  the 
most  healthful  in  the  Province.  In  this  beautiful 
section  are  situated  the  charitable  foundations  given  by 
General  de  Peyster  to  the  Order  of  the  Brothers  of  Naza- 
reth, a  community  of  laymen  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
established  in  1886.  The  Order  originally  carried  on  its 
work  in  New  York  City  where,  in  an  old  mansion  in 
Harlem,  it  conducted  All  Saints'  Convalescent  Home, 
under  the  direction  of  Brother  Gilbert,  the  Superior. 

General  de  Peyster  gave  to  the  community  "Priory 
Farm,"  a  tract  of  land  on  Prospect  Hill,  near  Union 
Vale,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Duchess  County.  The 
farm,  comprising  about  three  hundred  acres,  had  been 
in  General  de  Peyster's  family  for  seven  generations. 
Here  he  erected  a  hospital  for  the  treatment  of  tubercu- 
losis, the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States,  known  as 
All  Saints'  Home  for  Consumptives. 

The  founding  of  this  hospital  was  brought  about 
through  the  interest  of  General  de  Peyster  in  a  poor 
German  lad,  John  Gram,  who  had  been  employed  as  an 
elevator  boy  in  a  building  which  the  General  frequently 
visited.  The  boy's  bright  smile  and  careful  performance 
of  his  duties  had  attracted  the  General's  attention. 
Missing  him  from  his  accustomed  place,  he  found  that 
the  lad  had  contracted  a  severe  cold  in  the  draughts  of 
the  elevator  shafts,  which  had  settled  on  his  lungs  and 
induced  consumption, — a  disease  which  had  destroyed 
many  of  the  General's  relatives. 

General  de  Peyster,  ascertaining  the  boy's  whereabouts, 
discovered  that  he  had  no  home,  and  that  the  disease  had 
made  such  progress  that  he  was  unable  to  work.     The 

219 


220  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

General  applied  to  hospital  after  hospital,  but  found 
that  not  one  in  the  great  city  of  New  York  would  admit 
the  boy  unless  he  was  confined  to  his  bed.  He  was  finally 
placed  in  the  care  of  Brother  Gilbert,  who  watched  over 
him  until  his  death.  Having  discovered  that,  with  all 
the  care  given  to  the  poor  and  suffering,  there  was  no 
place  for  such  a  case,  General  de  Peyster  gave  the  hos- 
pital where  so  many  have  found  rest  and  consolation  in 
their  last  days.  Over  the  fireplace  of  one  of  the  main 
rooms  was  placed  a  marble  tablet  with  the  inscription: 
"This  tablet  is  placed  by  General  de  Peyster  in  remem- 
brance of  the  poor  waif,  John  Gram,  whose  closing  days, 
cared  for  by  Brother  Gilbert,  Superior  0.  B.  N.,  inspired 
the  idea  of  this  eleemosynary  foundation." 

The  hospital  consisted  of  two  departments,  a  Home 
for  Consumptives  and  a  Home  for  Convalescents.  Those 
suffering  from  consumption  or  any  other  lingering 
disease,  were  received.  Convalescents,  discharged  from 
city  hospitals,  but  still  too  weak  to  work,  were  helped 
back  to  health.  General  de  Peyster  determined  not 
merely  to  provide  for  those  in  bodily  affliction,  but,  as 
they  were  restored  to  health,  to  aid  them  still  further 
in  the  battle  of  life.  For  this  purpose,  to  the  buildings 
at  Priory  Farm  he  added  St.  PauFs  Training  School  for 
Boys,  dedicated  23  June,  1894. 

The  school  building,  constructed  of  native  stone,  is 
thoroughly  equipped  with  steam  heat,  well  lighted,  and 
furnished.  It  cost  twenty-three  thousand  dollars.  It 
has  two  large  wings  and  accommodates  forty  boys.  Over 
the  mantel  in  the  entrance  hall  is  a  memorial  tablet  of 
white  marble  with  the  inscription: 

"This  building,  St.  Paul's  Training  School  for  Boys, 
was  erected  here  on  Prospect  Farm,  or  Hill,  which  had 
been  in  his  Family  for  seven  generations,  by  John 
Watts  de  Peyster,  as  a  Memorial  of  his  Father,  Frederic 
de  Peyster,  and  of  his  maternal  Grandfather,  Jolm  Watts, 
Founder  and  Endower  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan 
House,  in  New  York.  M.  O'Connor,  Hudson,  Architect." 

"In  the   Nazareth   Chronicle   for   March   we  gave   a 


HOSPITALS  AND  SCHOOLS  221 

detailed  description  of  our  new  building,"  said  that 
paper  in  its  issue  of  July,  1894.  "Since  that  time  it  has 
been  furnished  carefully  and  generously  throughout  by 
the  liberality  of  Gen.  de  Peyster.  The  reception  hall, 
intended  for  guests  and  friends  of  the  boys,  and  those 
in  charge  of  the  school,  is  supplied  with  some  fine  pieces 
of  Eussian  furniture,  besides  well  upholstered  chairs  and 
a  sofa.  Several  very  valuable  bronzes  of  the  de  Peyster 
family  have  also  been  placed  in  this  room.  The  beauti- 
fully polished  hard-wood  floors  are  partly  hidden  by 
elegant  rugs ;  costly  portieres  hang  between  the  reception 
hall  and  the  corridor  leading  to  the  dining  room,  the 
school  room,  and  class  rooms. 

"The  dining  room  has  three  long  elm  wood  tables, 
finished  with  much  care,  and  the  fire-place  contains  heavy 
wrought  iron  andirons.  The  school  room  is  fitted  up  with 
the  most  modern  school  furniture,  each  boy  having  a 
separate  desk.  The  class  rooms  are  simply  furnished, 
but  in  harmony  with  the  other  parts  of  the  building. 
One  class  room  has  been  arranged  as  an  oratory,  where 
the  boys  gather  for  their  night  and  morning  prayers. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  a  com- 
modious chapel  will  be  built,  not  only  to  serve  for  the 
boys,  but  also  for  all  the  work  on  Priory  Farm,  and  for 
our  friends  and  neighbors  living  about  us. 

"A  small  but  convenient  dining-room  has  been  arranged 
for  those  having  charge  of  the  boys,  and  for  guests. 
Here  too  has  been  placed  a  handsome  rug  and  solid 
antique  furniture.  Ascending  the  beautiful  staircase, 
which  is  softly  lighted  by  beautiful  art-glass  windows 
on  each  landing,  we  come  to  the  second  floor.  The  long 
corridor,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  building, 
is  partly  covered  with  a  soft  red  carpet,  which  adds 
greatly  to  the  effectiveness  of  it,  and  at  convenient  dis- 
tances there  are  beautiful  curled-maple  hall  chairs. 

"On  either  side  of  the  corridors  are  the  sleeping 
apartments.  Small  dormitories  or  rooms  have  been 
arranged  for  the  boys,  so  that  as  much  as  possible  the 
idea  of  home  life  may  be  inculcated.     Each  boy  has  his 


223  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

own  distinct  bed,  and  here  too  is  manifested  the  unstinted 
generosity  of  our  benefactor.  The  name  of  the  bed  is 
Luxury,  and  it  does  not,  with  its  splendid  wire  springs, 
fine  mattress,  pillows  and  blankets,  fall  short  of  its  name. 
We  venture  to  say  that  but  few  of  the  boys  now  under 
our  care  were  ever  so  comfortably  housed  before. 

"The  criticism  of  kind  friends  who  have  gone  over 
the  building  has  been  that,  if  anything  is  the  trouble, 
what  has  been  given  us  is  too  good.  Our  great  desire  is 
that  by  surrounding  our  boys  with  all  that  is  good  and 
beautiful  we  may  ween  their  hearts  from  the  evil  by  which 
many  of  them  have  been  surrounded,  and  that  the  beauti- 
ful in  art  and  nature  will  be  object  lessons,  encouraging 
them  to  seek  after  higher  and  better  things." 

General  de  Peyster  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Priory 
Farm  and,  from  time  to  time,  made  it  the  recipient  of 
additional  gifts.  Soon  after  the  completion  of  the 
Training  School  he  presented  it  with  a  large  American 
Flag,  with  characteristic  patriotism,  desiring  to  inculcate 
a  love  of  country  in  the  minds  of  the  boys. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  General  de  Peyster's 
charities  is  the  Watts  de  Peyster  Hospital  and  Home  for 
Invalid  Children,  at  Verbank,  New  York,  built  upon  land 
donated  for  the  work  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Deacon- 
ess Society.  It  is  situated  on  Prospect  Hills,  one 
thousand  two  hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  about  ninety 
miles  from  New  York  City  and  three  and  a  half  miles 
from  the  Verbank  station.  Known  as  "The  Pines,"  the 
breath  of  the  pine  woods,  upon  which  the  front  windows 
of  the  building  look,  brings  health  to  the  little  ones  who 
have  found  shelter  here. 

The  children  are  rescued  from  the  slums  of  New  York, 
often  from  the  most  brutal  surroundings.  They  are  the 
"passed  by"  children  of  the  poor,  many  of  them  with 
the  seeds  of  consumption,  their  racking  coughs  debaring 
them  from  the  ministrations  of  many  charities,  while  yet 
they  are  not  ill  enough  to  enter  a  hospital. 

Some  of  the  cases  of  cruelty  which  have  come  to  the 
notice  of  the  deaconesses  are  almost  incredible,    "A  child 


HOSPITALS  AT^D  SCHOOLS  223 

dragged  sick  and  fainting  from  bed  to  go  for  beer,  a 
child  bitten  deeply  and  repeatedly  by  its  own  mother,  a 
child  shot  at  by  its  step-father,  children  kicked  and  beaten 
and  tortured  with  hot  irons  till  they  are  scarred  for  life 
— these  are  some  of  the  things  the  deaconesses  know 
about.  The  law?  Of  course  they  invoke  its  aid.  The 
Gerry  and  Home  Finding  Societies  are  often  sought 
unto.  But  after  a  child  has  been  rescued,  an  ailing  child, 
what  then  ?  Is  there  not  an  urgent  need  for  a  Home  for 
Invalid  Children?"* 

This  need  General  de  Peyster  met.  The  Home,  built 
of  stone  and  brick,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  forty  thousand 
dollars.  On  the  southern  side  is  an  enclosed  sun-porch, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  which  extends  the  entire 
length  of  the  building.  A  tablet  contains  the  following 
inscription : 

"Erected  by  Gen.  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  as  a  Me- 
morial of  Three  Exemplary  Women;  His  Grandmother, 
Jane  de  Lancey,  wife  of  Hon.  John  Watts;  His  Aunt, 
Elizabeth  Watts,  married  Henry  Leight;  His  Mother, 
Mary  Justina  Watts,  married  Frederic  de  Peyster." 

From  April,  1904,  to  the  spring  of  1905,  eighty 
children  were  cared  for  in  the  Home.  If  a  child  is  old 
enough,  and  its  health  is  sufficiently  restored,  it  is  taught 
simple  sewing  and  basket-making.  A  primary  school 
and  a  kindergarten  have  been  established.  General  de 
Peyster  also  gave  the  Society  the  land  known  as  the  Burns 
Farm.  The  following  resolution  of  thanks,  signed  by 
Z.  S.  Meyer,  Secretary,  was  tendered  to  General  de 
Peyster  by  the  Society  after  being  unanimously  adopted 
at  its  meeting  of  24  July,  1905. 

"RESOLVED :  That  the  very  hearty  thanks  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Deaconess  Society  are  due,  and  are 
hereby  tendered,  to  our  generous  friend  and  patron. 
General  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  for  the  gift  to  the  Watts 
de  Peyster  Hospital  of  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  known  as  the  Burns  Farm,  adjoining  the  property 

*Frora  the  Record  of  Christian  Work. 


224  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

before  donated  by  him  and  constituting  the  Watts  de 
Peyster  Hospital  and  Invalid  Children's  Home,  near 
Verbank,  N.  Y.  We  fully  recognize  the  fact  that  the 
institution  from  the  very  first  has  been  made  possible 
only  by  the  generous  interest  and  gifts  of  General  de 
Peyster.  We  wish  to  express  not  only  our  gratitude, 
but  also  our  earnest  hope  that  our  esteemed  friend  and 
benefactor  realizes  that  by  means  of  his  gift,  many  chil- 
dren are  being  gathered  up  from  circumstances  of 
suffering  and  degradation  and  brought  into  a  life  of 
physical  and  moral  health  and  purity  and  happiness. 
We  earnestly  hope  that  the  use  to  which  this  beautiful 
property  is  being  put,  is  meeting  the  approval  of  General 
de  Peyster. 

"EESOLVED:  That  we  respectfully  but  earnestly 
request  General  de  Peyster  to  cause  to  be  placed  in  the 
parlor  of  the  main  building  or  in  a  niche  or  platform 
on  the  staircase  near  the  stained  glass  window,  as  he 
may  prefer,  a  marble  bust  or  statue  of  himself,  in  order 
that  not  only  the  deaconesses  who  shall  have  charge  of 
the  work  and  the  children  in  the  Home  but  also  the 
visitors,  may  become  familiar  with  not  only  the  name  but 
also  the  face  of  the  founder  of  the  Institution. 

"EESOLVED:  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be 
spread  upon  the  Minutes.  Also  that  the  Secretary  be 
instructed  to  send  a  copy  to  General  de  Peyster." 

General  de  Peyster  likewise  gave  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Deaconess  Society  the  Trinity  School  Property, 
at  Madalin,  New  York,  worth  sixty-five  thousand  dollars, 
containing  a  fine  school  building.  The  General  erected 
a  gymnasium,  with  assembly  rooms,  a  separate  laundry 
building,  an  ice-house,  scientifically  constructed,  barns, 
out-buildings,  and  other  improvements.  The  water  is 
furnished  by  a  windmill  from  a  stream  flowing  through 
the  land,  which  comprises  nine  acres.  This  school  is 
known  as  the  'Watts  de  Peyster  Industrial  Home  and 
School  for  Girls,"  and  is  used  for  the  education  of  the 
friendless.  General  de  Peyster  received  the  following 
resolutions  of  thanks,  dated  7  June,  1894. 


HOSPITALS  AND  SCHOOLS  225 

"The  ladies  of  the  Committee  on  the  Italian  Girls' 
Industrial  Home,  at  their  monthly  meeting,  held  at  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  King,  on  Tuesday  last,  passed  a  hearty 
and  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  you  for  your  noble  and 
munificent  gift  to  their  work,  which  I  was  authorized 
to  convey  to  you  by  letter. 

"Trusting  that  you  may  be  blessed  in  the  gift,  and 
that  the  Watts  de  Peyster  home  may  be  the  means  of 
lightening  the  burden  from  many  lives  for  years  to  come, 
and  that  our  Society  may  prove  wise  almoners  of  your 
bounty,  I  am,  in  behalf  of  the  Committee,  gratefully 
yours,  Martha  Griffin,  Secretary." 

On  15  October,  1894,  the  school  was  formally  opened. 
In  1899  there  were  sixty  pupils.  A  number  of  societies 
connected  with  the  school  have  been  formed,  among 
them  the  "de  Peyster  Auxiliary"  of  the  Woman's  Home 
Missionary  Society,  a  band  called  "Watts  de  Peyster's 
Jewels,"  and  the  "Josephine  Circle."  General  de 
Peyster's  frequent  visits  were  the  occasion  of  great  joy 
and  merrymaking  among  the  children. 

"Of  all  the  good  I  have  done  or  attempted  to  do  at 
such  large  expenditures  of  money,  of  which  three-fifths, 
if  not  more,  have  given  me  great  dissatisfaction  and  even 
deep  pain,"  wrote  General  de  Peyster,  to  the  Superin- 
tendent of  this  school,  "I  can  truly  say  that  it  has 
always  been  a  subject  of  rejoicing  that  I  gave  the 
property  held  by  you,  to  your  association,  which  has  done 
so  much, — indeed  everything, — to  make  it  an  honor  to  the 
locality  in  which  it  is  situated,  and  a  grand  success  in 
every  sense  of  tlie  word." 


15 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 

CHURCHES 

In  1857  General  de  Peyster  erected  Trinity  Church, 
at  Natchitoches,  Louisiana,  in  memory  of  his  youngest 
daughter.  He  restored  it  in  1900,  placed  a  memorial 
tablet  and  presented  the  parish  with  a  bell. 

"Our  church  owes  almost  its  existence  to  your  patron- 
age," runs  a  letter  written  by  a  member  of  the  parish 
to  General  de  Peyster.  "The  walls,  whose  building  we 
watched  with  such  eager  interest,  the  musical  bell,  which 
should  speak  to  us  weekly,  the  beautiful  Communion 
service,  the  marble  slab  near  the  chancel,  the  memorial 
of  one  who  was  so  dear  to  you,  with  the  table,  where 
our  hallowed  dead  have  been  laid  before  taking  them  to 
their  last  resting  place,  all  come  to  us  with  sweet  memor- 
ies of  other  days." 

On  the  Sunday  after  Ascension  Day,  1900,  special 
vespers  was  celebrated  in  thanksgiving  for  the  restoration 
of  the  church.  The  following  resolutions  were  adopted 
by  the  Sixty-second  Annual  Council  of  the  diocese. 

"Whereas,  In  the  year  1857,  and  subsequently,  Gen. 
J.  W.  de  Peyster,  of  New  York,  as  a  memorial  of  his 
daughter,  Maria  L.  de  Peyster,  became  the  largest  con- 
tributor towards  the  building  of  Trinity  Church, 
Natchitoches;  and 

"Whereas,  During  the  past  conciliar  year  he  has 
renewed  his  former  benefactions  by  generous  gifts  for 
the  purpose  of  repairing  and  restoring  said  Church; 
therefore,  be  it 

"Eesolved,  That  this  Council  express  its  deep  apprecia- 
tion of  the  continued  benefaction  of  Gen.  de  Peyster  for 
the  above  named  Parish,  with  its  assurance  to  him  of  its 
prayers  that  the  memory  of  his  beloved  daughter  may 
be  always  associated  with  consoling  faith  in  that  risen 

226 


CHURCHES  227 

Christ  who  comforts  those  that  are  in  sorrow  and  heals 
the  stricken  hearts  of  those  who  mourn. 

"Eesolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  the  Council  transmit 
a  copy  of  these  resolutions  to  Gen.  de   Peyster." 

An  expression  of  thanks  of  the  parish,  signed  by 
Charles  H.  Levy,  Z.  T.  Gallion,  and  Sinicoe  Walmsley, 
''Committee  of  A^estry,  Maria  L.  de  Peyster  Memorial 
Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  Natchitoches,  Louisiana," 
runs  as  follows: 

"Be  it  Resolved,  that  grateful  thanks  of  the  vestry  and 
congregation  of  Maria  L.  de  Peyster  Memorial  Trinity 
Episcopal  Church,  Natchitoches,  Louisiana,  be  tendered 
General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  for  his  munificent  gift,  in 
thus  completing  a  work  formally  begun  by  him  before 
the  Civil  War,  and  restoring  this  Church  for  worship  to 
our  Almighty  God;  That  General  de  Peyster's  generous 
act  shall  ever  be  remembered  by  this  Parish,  and  we 
assure  him  of  our  sincere  appreciation. 

"Be  it  further  Resolved,  that  a  copy  of  these  proceed- 
ings be  forwarded  to  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  and 
that  they  be  placed  in  the  records  of  this  Parish,  to 
perpetuate  our  grateful  acknowledgment  and  apprecia- 
tion." 

General  de  Peyster  built  the  Chapel  of  St.  Augustine 
in  Nebraska  City,  and  freed  from  debt  a  school  for  the 
education  of  colored  children.  Both  were  connected  with 
St.  Augustine's  Mission,  of  which  his  friend.  Rev.  R.  W. 
Oliver,  was  at  the  time  the  priest-in-charge.  The  latter 
says  of  him :  "How  to  speak  of  the  kindness  of  General 
de  Peyster  I  do  not  know.  An  experience  of  nearly 
twenty  years  convinces  me  that  he  never  forsakes  a  friend, 
or  turns  a  deaf  ear  to  a  good  cause." 

General  de  Peyster  gave  to  the  Methodist  denomination 
a  church  and  parsonage  in  the  town  of  Madalin,  New 
York.  The  church,  a  beautiful  edifice,  was  designed  by 
the  General  himself.  A  tablet  inside  the  building  con- 
tains the  following  inscription. 

"This  Church  was  designed  by  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
Embodying    Suggestions    by    its    Pastor,    Rev.    Thomas 


228  JOHJ^  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Elliot.  The  plans  were  clraAvn  by  Henry  Dudley,  Arch't., 
]^.  Y.,  and  the  work  carried  out  and  completed  in 
accordance  with  Specifications  and  under  the  Superin- 
tendence of  Mr.  O'Connor,  Arch't." 

The  outer  wall  bears  a  tablet  inscribed  to  the  memory 
of  the  General's  two  daughters. 

"1892.  This  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Dedicated 
to  God,  the  Savior,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Comforter, 
is  erected  by  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  as  a  Memorial  of  his 
Daughters,  Estelle  Elizabeth  Prudence  and  Maria  Beata." 

The  following  Minute  signed  by  Jolm  M.  Walden, 
Presiding  Bishop,  and  C.  W.  Millard,  Secretary,  was 
entered  in  the  journal  of  the  New  York  Annual  Confer- 
ence of  the  Methodist  Church: 

"Whereas,  General  de  Peyster  has  presented  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Madalin  a  church  edifice, 
as  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of  his  daughters,  free  from 
debt,  beautiful  in  architectural  design,  and  wisely  adapted 
in  all  its  appointments  for  church  work;  and 

"Whereas,  General  de  Peyster,  with  a  benevolence  not 
prompted  by  a  denominational  relation  with  Methodism, 
as  he  is  not  a  member  of  our  Church,  has  not  only 
presented  this  well-equipped  Christian  temple  to  Metho- 
dism, but  has  also  built  and  paid  for  and  presented  to 
the  church  at  Madalin  a  parsonage;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Conference  extends  to  General 
de  Peyster  its  sincere  gratitude  for  his  large  and  generous 
benefactions,  and  assures  him  of  its  earnest  prayers 
that  he  may  sliare  in  time  and  in  eternity  the  blessings 
of  the  Christian  faith  which  his  dedicated  gifts  will 
perpetuate  on  earth,  and  that  the  memory  of  his  beloved 
daughters  may  always  be  associated  in  his  and  in  our 
memory  with  the  preaching  of  that  Gospel  which  comforts 
the  sorrowing  and  pardons  the  penitent. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Secretary  of  this  Conference  be 
instructed  to  prepare  two  engrossed  copies  of  this  action, 
signed  by  the  presiding  Bishop  and  the  Secretary,  one 
to  be  presented  to  General  de  Peyster,  and  the  other  to 
the  Quarterly  Conference  of  the  church  at  Madalin." 


CHURCHES  239 

General  de,  Peyster  gave  substantial  financial  aid  to  the 
Methodist  church  at  De  Peyster,  New  York.  The  Fire- 
men's Hall  at  Madalin,  New  York,  was  erected  by  him  in 
memory  of  his  sons,  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  Jr.,  and 
Frederic  de  Peyster.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  benefactors 
of  St.  Paul's  Parish,  Tivoli.  This  was  the  second  Episco- 
palian Parish  founded  within  Duchess  County,  the  church 
having  been  consecrated  by  Bishop  John  Henry  Hobart, 
27  May,  1819.  The  oldest  was  St.  James  Parish  at  Hyde 
Park.  The  first  Wardens  of  St.  Paul's  were  Edward  P. 
Livingston,  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  John  S.  Livingston,  the  first  Judge  of  Colum- 
bia County.  Connected  with  the  parish  was  a  free  school, 
of  which  General  de  Peyster  became  the  sole  Trustee. 
Here,  at  one  time,  fifty-one  children  were  educated  by 
him.  They  presented  to  him  a  token  of  their  gratitude, 
9  March,  1857,  with  the  following  inscription : 

"The  Accompanying  Spanish  Antique  Salver  is  pre- 
sented to  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  Sole  Trustee  of 
St.  Paul's  School, 

"By  the  undersigned;  fifty-one  pupils  attending  his 
School  in  the  Winter  Term  of  1856-57,  as  a  small  token 
of  affection  for  their  best  friend,  accompanied  with  the 
sincere  assurance  that  they  will  ever  bear  in  grateful 
remembrance,  him,  whose  noble  generosity  educated 
them,  without  expense;  whose  Christian  love  secured 
them  religious  instruction,  unmixed  with  sectarian  preju- 
dice; and  whose  whole  conduct  towards  them  is  so 
eminently  in  accordance  with  his  characteristic  kindness 
and  rare  goodness." 

The  parish  having  determined  to  build  a  new  church, 
a  new  site  was  purchased.  General  de  Peyster  giving 
one  acre  and  a  half.  He  also  gave  one '  thousand  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  toward  the  building  fund,  and 
his  son,  Colonel  Frederic  de  Peyster,  Jr.,  gave  one 
hundred  dollars. 

The  church  is  on  an  elevated  spot,  surrounded  by  noble 
trees.  The  grading  of  the  land  was  done  under  the 
personal   direction    of    General   de    Peyster,   and   every 


230  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

advantage  was  taken  of  the  natural  beauties  of  the  site. 
The  church  rests  upon  an  esplanade,  and  in  the  rear, 
beneath  the  foundation,  are  vaults  which  add  to  its 
graceful  outlines.  The  building  is  of  rough  stone,  of 
Early  English  or  Xorman  Gothic  architecture.  The 
windows,  built  between  buttresses,  are  partly  of  stained 
and  partly  of  ground  glass.  A  gilt  cross  rises  above  the 
trees.  The  church  is  covered  with  ivy  planted  by  the 
wife  of  General  de  Peyster. 

There  is  a  transept  to  the  south  whose  interior  forms 
the  spacious  family  pews  of  Johnston  Livingston,  and 
General  de  Peyster.  Immediately  under  the  chancel  is 
the  de  Peyster  vault,  constructed  of  enormous  blocks  of 
Hudson  Eiver  bluestone.  The  entrance  is  closed  with  a 
wrought-iron  door  upon  which  is  forged  an  iron  mono- 
gram. On  either  side  are  two  ten-pounder  Parrot  guns, 
the  gift  of  the  United  States  Government  after  the  War 
of  the  Eebellion, — appropriate  sentinels  before  a  door 
which  guards  the  mortal  remains  of  two  who  fought  for 
the  Union.  Above  the  facade  of  the  de  Peyster  vault  is 
a  sarcophagus  of  Italian  marble  upon  which  are  the 
following  inscriptions : 

Facing  west,  obverse: 

"In  Memory  of  Maria  Livingston  de  Peyster,  youngest 
daughter  and  child  of  John  Watts  and  Estelle  de  Peyster. 
Born  7th  July,  1852,  Died  24th  September,  1857." 

Facing  east,  reverse: 

"In  Memory  of  our  beloved  Aunt,  Elizabeth  Watts 
Laight,  daughter  of  John  and  Jane  de  Lancey  Watts. 
Died  23d  June,  1866,  aged  82  years. 

In  the  rear  of  the  churcli,  beyond  the  vaults.  General 
de  Peyster  placed  a  number  of  monuments.  One  of  these, 
of  gray  marble,  bears  the  name  of  John  Watts  on  the 
base  toward  the  east,  and  of  John  Watts  de  Peyster  on 
the  west.  On  the  east  and  north  side  are  the  following 
inscriptions : 

On  the  east: 

"In  Memory  of  John  Watts,  born  in  the  citv  of  ISTew 
York,  27th  of  August,  1749  (Old  Style),  and  died  there 


CHUECHES  231 

3rd  (6th)  Sept.,  1836  (New  Style)  :  (3d  Son  of  Hon. 
John  Watts,  Senior,  Member  King^s  Council,  and  des- 
tined Lt.  Gov.  Province  of  New  York,  and  of  Anne, 
eldest  daughter  of  Etienne  (Stephen)  de  Lancey,) — Last 
Eoyal  Recorder,  City  of  New  York,  1774-77 ;  Speaker  of 
Assembly,  S.  N.  Y.,  1791-94;  Member  of  Congress,  U.  S., 
1793-95;  First  Judge  of  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  1806; 
etc.,  etc.,  etc.  Founder  and  Endower  of  the  Leake  and 
Watts  Orphan  House,  New  York  City.  'Vir  Aequani- 
mitatis.^ " 

On  the  north: 

"In  Memory  of  [*]  and  of  his  wife,  Mary  Justina 
Watts,  youngest  Child  and  Daughter  of  Hon.  John  Watts, 
2d;  and  of  Jane, — [the  latter]  Daughter  of  Peter  de 
Lancey,  'of  the  Mills,'  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  [of] 
Elizabeth  Colden,  Daughter  of  Cadwallader  Colden, 
Eoyal  Lt.  Gov.  and  Acting  Gov.  Province  N,  Y. — Born 
in  New  York  City,  26th  Oct.,  1801,  and  died  there  28th 
of  July,  1821." 

An  obelisk  of  white  marble,  within  an  enclosure 
guarded  by  two  ten-pounder  Parrot  guns,  commemorates 
the  eldest  son  of  the  General,  The  monument  bears 
military  emblems  and  is  inscribed  as  follows: 

"In  Memory  of  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  Jr.,  Major 
First  New  York  Vol.  Artillery,  Brevet  Colonel  IJ.  S.  V. 
and  N.  Y.  V.  'Greatly  distinguished  for  gallantry  and 
good  conduct  at  the  Battle  of  Williamsburg'  (Monday, 
5th  May,  1862,  as  Aid  to  his  cousin,  Maj.  General  Philip 
Kearny),  'and  no  less  remarked  for  his  coolness  and 
courage  under  me  (Maj.  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker)  at  the 
Battle  of  Chancellorsville'  (2d,  3d,  4th  May,  1863,  as 
Chief  of  Artillery,  2d  Division,  6th  Corps),  to  Maj. 
General  Albion  P.  Howe.  After  nearly  ten  years  unre- 
mitted suffering,  the  consequence  of  arduous  service  in 
the  field,  he  died  12th  of  April,  1873,  in  his  native  City 
of  New  York,  aged  31  years,  4  months  and  10  days." 


♦The  name  of  the  General's  father,  Frederic  de  Peyster,  had  not   yet  been 
added  when  the  above  was  copied. 


233  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

In  the  rear  of  the  church,  against  the  chancel  wall, 
a  marble  tablet  reads: 

"In  the  Vault  beneath  rest  the  mortal  remains  of 
Brevet  Colonel  Jolm  Watts  de  Peyster,  Jr.,  Major  1st 
K.  Y.  Vol.  Art'y.  Born  2d  December,  1841,  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  and  died  there  12th  of  April,  1873. 
*A  young  officer'  (whom  Kearny  styled  'as  brave  as 
himself)  ^of  zeal,  energy,  and  fired  with  a  patriotic 
ambition.'  (Major  Gen.  Peck.)  'A  soldier  of  great 
force  in  action,  and  capable  by  his  personal  heroism  of 
inspiring  others  with  his  own  fiery  courage.'  (Brig. 
Gen.  Josh.  T.  Owen.)  'The  chivalric  gallantry  of  charac- 
ter and  the  patriotic  devotion  to  duty  which  led  Col. 
de  Peyster  in  the  voluntary  performance  of  more  than 
duty,  to  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  his  country,  his  health 
and  the  bright  promise  of  a  noble  manhood,  justly  entitle 
him  to  a  favorable  consideration  of  his  government  and 
the  kind  consideration  of  his  countrymen.'  (Maj.  Gen. 
A.  P.  Howe.)  In  every  position,  as  a  Staff,  Cavalry, 
and  Artillery  officer,  equally  distinguished,  he  died  a 
martyr  for  the  Union." 

Another  marble  monument,  raised  to  the  memory 
of  the  second  son  of  General  de  Peyster,  an  officer  during 
the  Peninsular  Campaign  of  1863,  bears  the  following 
inscription : 

"Frederic  de  Peyster,  Jr.,  Brevet  Colonel,  N.  Y.  V., 
Brevet  Major,  U.  S.  V.  Born  in  New  York  City,  13th 
December,  1843.  Died  at  Eose  Hill,  in  the  Township  of 
Red  Hook,  Duchess  Co.,  30th  October,  1874,  of  diseases 
contracted  in  the  field,  with  the  Army  of  North-Eastern 
Virginia  in  1861,  and  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
in  1862." 

The  reverse  of  the  monuments  indicates  the  last  resting 
place  of  this  brave  soldier. 

(Fourth  Corps  Badge,  Second  Division,  A.  of  the  P.) 
"The  Mortal  Remains  lie  in  his  father's  vault,  west  of 
the  church." 

Unusual  safeguards  were  taken  for  the  protection  of 
this,  burial-place  by  the  original  subscribers.     Even  the 


CHUECHES  233 

vestry  of  the  church  cannot  make  changes  which  inter- 
fere with  its  arrangements.  "This  'God's  acre'  is  less 
liable  to  probable  or  possible  desecration  or  vandalism 
than  any  other  in  the  country,"  wrote  General  de  Peyster. 
The  General  had  great  reverence  for  the  dead.  This 
was  shown  bj  his  act  in  placing  within  his  own  lot  near 
the  church  an  old  grave-stone  which  had  been  dislodged 
from  its  original  place  in  an  ancient  burying  place  on 
the  de  Peyster  land.  Indeed,  almost  all  of  his  benefac- 
tions were  given  in  memory  of  those  who  had  "gone 
before." 


CHAPTEE  XLIX 

BRONZES   AND   PAINTINGS 

General  de  Peyster  erected  many  statues.  In  Trinity 
Churchyard,  New  York,  stands  -a  bronze  statue,  heroic 
size,  of  his  grandfather,  Hon.  John  Watts.  The  inscrip- 
tion on  the  base  is  as  follows : 

"Vir  Aequanimitatis.  John  Watts.  Born  in  the  City 
of  New  York,  August  27,  1749  (0.  S.)  and  died  there 
September  3,  1836  (N.  S.).  Last  Eoyal  Eecorder  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  1774-1777— No  Eecords  during 
the  Eevolution;  Speaker  of  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  January  5,  1791,  to  January  7,  1794;  Mem- 
ber of  Congress,  1793-1795;  First  Judge  of  Westchester 
Co.,  1806 ;  Pounder  and  Endower  of  Leake  and  Watts 
Orphan  House  in  the  City  of  New  York;  one  of  the 
Founders  and  Afterwards  President  of  the  New  York 
Dispensary,  1821-1836;  etc.,  etc.  His  Eemains  lie  in 
his  adjacent  Family  Vault  in  this  [Trinity]  Churchyard. 
Erected  in  Grateful  Eemembrance  by  His  Grandson,  only 
Child  of  His  Youngest  [Child  and]  Daughter,  Mary 
Justina  Watts  [de  Peyster],  John  Watts  de  Peyster." 

In  the  old  Bowling  Green,  opposite  the  site  of  the 
house  where  the  General  was  born,  and  facing  the  new 
Custom  House,  is  a  bronze  statue  of  De  Heer  Abraham 
de  Peyster.  It  was  presented  by  his  descendant,  General 
de  Peyster,  to  the  City  of  New  York,  and,  like  the  statue 
of  John  Watts,  was  executed  by  the  well-known  sculptor, 
George  E.  Bissell.     It  bears  the  following  inscription: 

"Abraham  de  Peyster.  1685  Alderman,  1691-'95 
Mayor,  1701  Comptroller,  and  1708  Eeceiver  General  of 
the  Port  of  New  York;  1698  Member  of  Earl  Bellomont's 
Council;  1698  Associate  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court; 
1700  Colonel  Commanding  Eegiment  of  Militia  or  City 
Train  Bands;  1701  Chief  Justice;  1701  President  of  the 

234 


1 


BRONZES  AND  PAINTINGS  235 

King's  Council  and  thus  Acting  Governor  of  the  Province 
of  New  York;  1706-1721  Treasurer  of  the  Provinces  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey.  Born  8th  July,  1657 — died 
2d  Aug.,  1728.  Johannes,  Col.  Abraham  de  Peyster's 
Father,  was  Burgomaster  1673,  Alderman  1666-'9, 
1673-'6,  and  Deputy  Mayor,  N.  Y.,  1677;  Johannes,  Jr., 
his  son.  Alderman  1700-'1-'10,  Mayor  1698.  Erected  by 
John  AYatts  de  Peyster,  7th  Generation,  in  Direct  Des- 
cent, Eesident  of,  and  6th  Born  in  1st  Ward,  City  of 
New  York." 

A  beautiful  statue  of  Saint  Winefride,  evoking  with  the 
sword  of  her  martyrdom  the  fountain  which  feeds  the 
Holy  Healing  Well,  also  executed  by  Bissell,  and  orig- 
inally intended  for  one  of  General  de  Peyster's  charities, 
the  "Pinetum"  at  the  New  Home  for  Consumptives,  was 
presented  by  him  to  the  City  of  Hudson,  New  York. 
"It  now  adorns  the  beautiful  fountain  in  the  city  of 
Hudson  which  issues  out  of  its  rock  pedestal.  The 
pedestal  itself  is  a  mass  of  natural  moss-grown  rocks 
taken  from  Beacraft  j\Iountain,  in  the  Lower  Claverack 
Manor,  near  the  city  of  Hudson,  of  which  General  de 
Peyster  was  the  last  patroon." 

To  the  New  York  Dispensary  General  de  Peyster  pre- 
sented a  bust  of  Hon.  John  Watts,  its  President  from 
1821  until  his  death.  For  the  gift  of  a  silk  banner  to 
Grand  Army  Post,  "Phil  Kearny,"  he  received  the 
following  resolution  of  thanks,  dated  at  New  York,  3 
April,  1868,  and  signed  by  E.  T.  Yardley,  Acting  Post 
Adjutant.  "At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  Post,  held  on 
the  1st  inst.,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  and 
a  copy  directed  to  be  forwarded  to  you.  'Eesolved,  That 
the  thanks  of  the  Post  be  tendered  to  Brevet  Major- 
General  J.  AVatts  de  Peyster,  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  for  the  superb 
silk  banner,  bearing  an  equestrian  portrait  of  the  illus- 
trious Kearny  and  adorned  by  the  insignia  of  his  famous 
Division,  presented  by  that  loyal  and  patriotic  gentleman 
in  a  highly  eloquent  address  at  Irving  Hall,  on  Wednes- 
day evening,  March  25,  1868.' " 

To  the  City  of  Kearney,  Nebraska,  General  de  Peyster 


236  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

presented  a  bronze  bust  of  his  cousin,  Major-General 
Philip  Kearny,  in  whose  honor  the  city  was  named.  For 
this  gift  he  received  the  thanks  of  the  city  officials. 

"The  following  resolutions,"  wrote  the  clerk,  27  Janu- 
ary, 1892,  "were  prepared  by  a  committee  of  the  Council 
selected  by  the  Mayor,  and  were  reported  to  the  Council 
at  its  last  regular  session,  Monday  evening,  January  25, 
1892,  and  were  unanimously  adopted  by  them.  I  was 
further  instructed  by  the  ]\Iayor  and  Council  to  fprward 
a  copy  of  them  to  you.  This  I  enclose  and  will  only 
add  that  while  it  is  impossible  for  the  citizens  of  Kearney 
to  add  to  your  happiness,  yet  the  consciousness  of  the 
pleasure  you  have  given  them  must  be  your  reward. 

"Resolutions. 

"Whereas,  The  eminent  author  and  most  distinguished 
citizen  of  New  York,  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  has 
shown  his  respect  for,  and  liberality  toward  our  city, 
which  has  the  distinguished  honor  of  being  named  after 
his  cousin  and  intimate  friend,  the  late  lamented  General 
Philip  Kearny,  therefore: 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  Mayor  and  City  Council,  for 
ourselves  and  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  we  represent,  would 
most  heartily  unite  in  expressing  to  the  said  General  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster  our  most  heartfelt  thanks  for  the  beau- 
tiful, costly  and  perfect  bust  of  that  faithful,  efficient 
and  successful  General,  who  was  the  hero  of  many  hard 
fought  battles  as  well  as  a  model  man  in  peace.  General 
Philip  Kearny. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Resolutions  be  spread  upon  the 
city  records  and  a  copy  sent  to  the  General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster  under  the  seal  of  the  city,  with  an  invitation  for 
him  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  the  city  at  his  earliest 
convenience." 

The  following  letter  from  Clerk  Hartzell,  dated  9 
March,  1892,  acknowledges  another  gift  to  the  city  of 
Kearney:  "At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  City  Council, 
held  February  29,  1892,  the  enclosed  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted,  and,  in  accordance  therewith,  I 
mail  them  to  you. 


€01 


ftt.-*^  -  ''*" 


.s.^-r 


V 


BRONZE  STATUE  OF  ST.  WINEFRIDE,  HUDSON'.  NEW  YORK 


BEOXZES  AXD  PAINTINGS  237 

"Eesolutions. 

'•'Whereas,  Gen'l  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  has  seen  fit  to 
follow  up  his  former  noble  gifts  to  the  city  with  a  very 
generous  donation  of  two  beautiful  portraits  of  his  illus- 
trious and  honored  friend,  Gen.  Phil.  Kearny, 

"Therefore,  be  it  Eesolved:  That  we,  the  Mayor  and 
Council  of  the  City  of  Kearney,  accept  the  generous 
gift  of  those  splendid  portraits  for  ourselves  and  the 
people  we  represent;  and 

"Eesolved,  That  we  tender  our  heartfelt  thanks  to  Gen. 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster  for  them,  and 

"Eesolved,  That  said  portraits  shall  be  hung  in  the 
most  conspicuous  places  as  adornment  to  our  City  Hall, 
that  we  may  ever  reverence  the  memory  of  that  noble 
man  and  brave  General,  who  gave  his  life  for  his  country 
and  his  name  to  our  city,  and  his  noble  example  to  all 
mankind,  and 

"Eesolved,  That  these  Eesolutions  be  spread  on  the  City 
Eecords  and  a  copy  be  sent  to  Gen'l  J.  W^atts  de  Peyster." 

To  the  State  of  New  Jersey  General  de  Peyster  gave 
a  large  equestrian  portrait  of  General  Kearny  for  which 
he  was  tendered  the  thanks  of  the  Legislature,  through 
Governor  Leon  Abbott,  who  wrote,  9  February,  1891, 
"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  transmit  to  you  to-day 
the  thanks  of  the  Legislature  of  New  Jersey  for  your 
gift  to  this  State  of  an  equestrian  portrait  of  your  kins- 
man, the  gallant  General  Kearny.  In  forwarding  to  you 
this  certified  copy  of  their  action,  please  let  me  express 
my  thanks  officially  for  this  generous  act  on  your  part. 
"Commonwealth  of  New  Jersey. 

"Whereas,  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of  New  York 
City,  has  presented  to  this  State  a  large  equestrian 
portrait  of  the  late  Major-Gen.  Philip  Kearny ;  therefore, 

"Eesolved  (the  House  of  Assembly  concurring),  That 
the  thanks  of  the  Legislature  of  this  State  are  hereby 
given  to  Gen.  de  Peyster  for  his  generous  gift  of  the 
picture  of  one  of  New  Jersey's  most  gallant  soldiers  of 
the  late  Civil  War. 

"Eesolved,    That    his    Excellency,    tlie    Governor,    be 


238  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

requested  to  forward  a  certified  copy  of  this  Eesolution 
to  Gen.  de  Peyster. 

"I  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  resolution  is  a  true 
copy  of  the  original  as  passed  by  the  Senate,  February  2, 
1891.     Jolin  Carpenter,  Jr.,  Secretary  of  Senate. 

"I  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  resolution  is  a 
true  copy  of  the  original  as  passed  by  the  House  of 
Assembly,  February  3,  1891.  Thomas  F.  Noonan,  Jr., 
Clerk  of  the  House  of  Assembly.^' 

The  thanks  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  were  also 
presented  to  General  de  Peyster  for  his  gift  of  two 
paintings  of  the  charge  of  General  Kearny  upon  the 
City  of  Mexico  during  the  Mexican  War,  and  a  bronze 
medallion  of  General  McAllister.  The  letter  of  Governor 
George  T.  Werts,  dated  at  Trenton,  9  June,  1894,  with 
the  resolution  transmitted  by  him,  were  as  follows : 

"It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  enclose  you  a  properly 
authenticated  copy  of  the  resolution  passed  by  the  legis- 
lature of  the  State  of  New  Jersey  at  its  last  session  in 
reference  to  gifts  made  by  you  to  this  State. 
"The  State  of  New  Jersey. 

"Whereas,  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of  New  York 
City,  has  presented  to  this  State  two  beautiful  paintings 
of  the  charge  made  by  Gen.  Philip  Kearny,  of  New 
Jersey,  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  a  bronze  medallion  of 
Brevet  Maj.-Gen.  Eobert  McAllister,  of  the  New  Jersey 
Volunteers;  therefore 

"Eesolved,  (the  Senate  concurring),  That  the  thanks 
of  the  Legislature  of  this  State  are  hereby  given  to  Gen. 
de  Peyster  for  his  generous  gift  of  pictures  of  a  spirited 
charge  in  battle  made  by  New  Jersey's  most  gaUant 
leader,  and  the  bronze  relief  of  one  of  her  truest  heroes 
in  the  Civil  War. 

"Eesolved,  That  his  Excellency,  the  Governor,  be 
requested  to  forward  a  certified  copy  of  this  resolution  to 
Gen.  de  Peyster. 

"I  certify  that  the  above  is  a  true  copy  of  a  resolution 
offered  in  the  House  of  Assembly  of  New  Jersey,  by  Mr. 
Olcott,  of  Essex,  on  April  17,  189-4;  duly  adopted  by  said 


BEONZES  AND  PAINTINGS  239 

Assembly  on  said  day,  and  returned  by  message  from  the 
Senate,  April  18,  1894,  as  having  been  duly  concurred 
in  by  the  Senate.  J.  Herbert  Potts,  Clerk  of  the  House 
of  Assembly,  Session  of  1894." 

General  de  Peyster's  gift  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania 
of  an  equestrian  portrait  of  General  Heintzehnan  called 
forth  a  resolution  dated  at  Harrisburg,  "in  the  Senate," 
26  March,  1891. 

"Whereas,  Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  of 
No.  59  East  Twenty-first  street,  New  York  City,  author, 
soldier,  and  public-spirited  citizen,  from  his  private 
collection  of  paintings,  has  presented  to  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  an  Equestrian  Portrait  of  one  of  Pennsyl- 
vania's most  gallant  sons,  Maj.  Gen.  Samuel  Peter 
Heintzelman,  who  was  born  in  Manheim,  Lancaster 
county,  September  30,  1805,  and  whose  service  in  the 
Army  from  his  graduation  at  West  Point  Military 
Academy  in  1826,  until  his  death,  May  1,  1880,  is  the 
special  pride  of  his  native  State :  therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  By  the  Senate  (the  House  of  Eepresenta- 
tives  concurring).  That,  as  evidence  of  the  appreciation 
of  this  generous  and  valued  gift,  the  thanks  of  the  people 
of  Pennnsylvania  be,  and  they  are  hereby  extended  to 
Brevet  Maj.  Gen.  J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 

"Resolved,  That  the  portrait  of  General  Heintzelman 
be  appropriately  marked  and  placed  in  the  State  Library. 
E.  W.  Smiley,  Chief  Clerk  of  the  Senate.  John  W. 
Morrison,  Chief  Clerk  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 

"Approved  the  7th  day  of  April,  Anno  Domini,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-one.  Robert  E. 
Pattison,  Governor." 

The  following  is  the  expression  of  the  thanks  of  the 
State  of  New  York  for  the  gift  of  a  bronze  bas-relief 
of  an  historic  scene  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 

"Whereas,  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
a  public-spirited  citizen  of  this  State,  has  presented  to 
tlie  State  a  bronze  bas-relief  representing  the  'Encamp- 
ment of  the  Continental  Troops  at  West  Point  on  the 
Hudson,  during  the  Revolution;'  therefore 


240  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

"Piesolved  (if  the  Senate  concur),  That,  as  an  evidence 
of  the  high  appreciation  of  this  generous  and  valued 
gift,  the  thanks  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York 
be,  and  they  are  hereby  extended  to  Brevet  Major-General 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 

"Eesolved,  That  the  bronze  bas-relief,  representing  the 
^Encampment  of  the  Continental  Troops  at  West  Point 
on  the  Hudson,  during  the  Eevolution,'  presented  by 
Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  be  appropriately 
marked  and  placed  in  the  Capitol  by  the  Trustees. 

"The  Speaker  put  the  question  whether  the  House 
would  agree  to  said  resolution,  and  it  was  determined  in 
the  affirmative. 

"Ordered,  That  the  Clerk  deliver  said  resolution  to 
the  Senate  and  request  their  concurrence  therein. 

"I  certify  that  the  above  is  a  true  copy  of  the  resolu- 
tion offered  in  the  House  of  Assembly  of  New  York, 
by  Mr.  Gray,  of  Duchess,  on  March  20,  1894,  duly 
adopted  by  said  Assembly,  on  said  day,  and  returned  by 
message  from  the  Senate,  March  31,  1894,  as  having 
been  duly  concurred  in  by  said  Senate.  G.  W.  Dunn, 
Clerk  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  Session  of  1894." 

To  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York, 
General  de  Peyster  presented  a  statue  of  St.  George  by 
Donatello,  a  statuette  of  De  Heer  Abraham  de  Peyster, 
and  busts  of  the  General's  mother  and  grandfather. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  Columbia  College  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  held  at  the  College  on  Monday, 
the  fifth  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  ninety-four,  the  following 
action  was  taken :  Extract  from  minutes,  "Eesolved,  That 
the  thanks  of  the  Trustees  be  tendered  to  General  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster  for  his  gift  to  the  Library  of  the 
College  of  two  marble  busts  of  Washington,  one  by 
Greenough  and  tlie  other  by  Crawford;  of  a  bronze 
medallion  of  General  Phil.  Kearny,  a  graduate  of  this 
College  of  the  Class  of  1833;  and  of  a  bronze  statuette 
of  the  Lincoln  Monument  at  Edinboro.  A  true  copy. 
John  B.  Pine,  Clerk." 


CHAPTEE  L 

THE  FERGUSON  RIFLE 

The  "War  Department  Library,  at  Washington,  was  the 
recipient  of  vahiable  works  donated  by  General  de 
Peyster  during  a  period  of  many  years.  In  a  letter 
dated  1  June,  1894,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  books, 
Brigadier-General  A.  W.  Greely,  Chief  Signal  Officer, 
TJ.  S.  A.,  who  was  then  in  charge  of  the  Library,  wrote 
as  follows  to  General  de  Peyster. 

"I  note  with  special  pleasure  your  disposition  to  deposit 
in  this  library  such  copies  of  your  military  studies  and 
memoirs  as  are  at  your  disposal.  I  assure  you  that 
they  will  be  received  with  great  pleasure,  and  will  be 
properly  cared  for  and  catalogued  in  the  next  list  issued 
by  the  library.  *  *  *  * 

"I  was  asked  to  supervise  the  library  with  a  view  to 
accumulating  here  books  and  literature  on  military  sub- 
jects, to  the  end  that  it  might  take  its  proper  standing 
among  the  great  professional  libraries  of  the  country, 
and  it  is  especially  gratifying  that  a  man  of  your  talents 
and  standing  should  be  disposed  to  assist  in  this  plan  as 
much  as  possible.  I  enclose  herewith  a  list  of  such  of 
your  publications  as  are  now  on  file  in  this  library." 

In  addition  to  his  donations  of  military  works.  General 
de  Peyster  presented  to  the  War  Department  bronze 
statuettes  of  Generals  Morgan,  Schuyler,  and  Gates;  a 
painting  of  the  battle  of  Lookout  ]\Iountain;  one  of  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga;  a  small  oval  portrait  of  Wash- 
ington; a  specimen  of  chain  armor  over  a  thousand  years 
old;  and  a  Ferguson  rifle  used  in  the  Eevolution  in  the 
battle  of  Brandywine,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  exist- 
ence. The  following  letter,  dated  16  May,  1899,  was  sent 
by  Secretary  of  War  E.  A.  Alger,  in  reply  to  one  from 
General  de  Peyster. 

16 

241 


242  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  April  19,  1899,  addressed  to  General  A.  W. 
Greely,  Chief  Signal  Officer,  stating  that  you  have  in 
your  possession  the  only  specimen  in  the  world  of  the 
first  breech-loading  rifle,  invented  by  Colonel  Patrick 
Ferguson  in  17T5,  and  first  used  at  the  battle  of  Brandy- 
wine  in  1777,  and  offering  to  donate  the  same  to  the 
War  Department.  *  *  *  *  Also,  that  you  will  likewise 
donate  to  the  War  Department  copies  now  in  your  pos- 
session of  Walker's  famous  paintings  of  Chickamauga 
and  Lookout  Mountain.  *  *  *  * 

"In  reply,  I  beg  to  state  that  the  Department  accepts 
your  offer,  and  that  upon  receipt  of  the  articles  a  letter 
of  acknowledgment  *  *  *  *  will  be  sent  to  you." 

Upon  receipt  of  the  gifts  a  preliminary  acknowledg- 
ment was  sent  by  General  Greely,  7  June,  1899. 

"Eeferring  to  your  recent  letter  and  in  connection  with 
two  other  esteemed  favors  on  the  same  subject,"  he 
writes,  "1  have  had  pleasure  in  investigating  the  situa- 
tion here  and  find  that  the  three  paintings,  the  rifle, 
and  the  chain  armor  have  been  received  by  the  Depart- 
ment in  good  condition. 

"A  letter  of  formal  acknowledgment  is  in  course  of 
preparation  for  you  in  the  office  of  the  Chief  Clerk,  to 
be  signed  by  the  Secretary  of  War.  These  valuable 
articles  have  been  turned  over  to  the  War  Department 
Library  for  safe  keeping.  Appreciating  in  a  high 
degree  your  great  generosity  towards  this  Department 
and  your  valued  courtesies  so  often  extended  to  the 
Library,  I  am,"  etc. 

A  more  formal  acknowledgment,  dated  at  the  War 
Department,  28  June,  1899,  and  signed  by  Secretary 
Alger,  was  sent  to  General  de  Peyster. 

"In  connection  with  previous  correspondence  respecting 
certain  donations  from  you  to  this  Department,"  writes 
the  Secretary,  "it  gives  me  pleasure  to  formally  acknowl- 
edge the  receipt  of  a  breech-loading  rifle,  which  is  stated 
to  be  the  only  specimen  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and 
used  in  the  battle  of  Brandy  wine  in  the  year  1777;  a 


THE  FERGUSON  EIFLE  243 

specimen  of  chain  armor,  said  to  be  from  1,000  to  1,200 
years  old;  a  painting  of  the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain 
and  one  of  the  battle  of  Chiekamauga,  and  a  small  oval 
of  Washington. 

"The  Department  justly  appreciates  your  courtesy  in 
making  these  donations,  and  the  articles  will  be  appro- 
priately inscribed  and  preserved. as  indicated  in  previous 
correspondence.  The  donation  of  the  additional  articles 
referred  to  in  your  latter  to  Gen.  Greely  of  the  28th 
ultimo,  M^ould  also  be  duly  appreciated." 

In  response  to  a  suggestion  in  a  letter  dated  16  May, 
1905,  by  Major  W.  D.  Beach  of  the  General  Staff,  in 
supervisory  charge  of  the  War  Department  Library, 
General  de  Peyster  authorized  the  transfer  of  the  rifle 
to  more  conspicuous  quarters, 

"Referring  again  to  the  Ferguson  breech-loading  rifle 
presented  by  you  to  the  War  Department  in  1899,"  Major 
Beach  wrote,  "receipt  of  which  was  duly  acknowledged 
by  the  Honorable  R.  A.  Alger,  Secretary  of  War,  under 
date  of  May  16,  1899,  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you 
that  repeated  applications  have  been  made  by  the  National 
Museum  for  the  transfer  of  this  rifle  from  the  War 
Department  to  the  Museum  mentioned.  It  has  occurred 
to  me  that  the  Secretary  of  War  might  consent  to  its 
transfer,  provided  you  did  not  object,  retaining  in  the 
War  Department  Library  a  large  photograph,  properly 
mounted  and  inscribed.  The  rifle  is  of  very  great  inter- 
est and  would  be  seen  by  many  hundreds  of  persons  in 
the  National  Museum  where  it  would  be  seen  by  one  in 
the  War  Department  Library." 

An  article  describing  the  Ferguson  rifle,  written  by 
General  de  Peyster,  appeared  in  Scribner's  Magazine  for 
April,  1880.  From  the  British  Government  the  General 
obtained  a  copy  of  the  speciflcations  for  his  rifle  filed 
by  Colonel  Patrick  Ferguson  with  his  application  for 
a  patent.     The  document  begins: 

"A.  D.,  1776.  No.  1139.  Breech-loading  Fire-arms. 
Ferguson's  Specification.  To  all  to  whom  these  presents 
shall  come:     I,  Patrick  Ferguson,  Esquire,  Captain  of 


244  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

His  Majesty's  Seventieth  Eegiment  of  Foot,  send 
greeting : 

''^''liereas.  His  Most  Excellent  Majesty,  King  George 
the  Third,  by  his  Letters  Patent,  under  the  Great  Seal 
of  Great  Britain,  bearing  date  at  Westminster,  the  Second 
day  of  December,  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  His  reign, 
did  give  and  grant  unto  me,  the  said  Patrick  Ferguson, 
my  executors,  admors,  and  assigns,  during  the  term  of 
years  therein  expressed,  should  and  lawfully  might  make, 
use  and  exercise,  and  vend,  within  England,  Wales,  and 
Town  of  Berwick  upon  Tweed,  and  also  within  all  His 
Colonies  and  Plantations  abroad,  my  Invention  of  various 
improvements  upon  fire-arms,  by  means  of  which  they 
load  with  more  ease,  safety  and  expedition,  fire  with 
greater  certainty,  and  possess  various  other  advantages; 
in  which  said  Letters  Patent  there  is  contained  a  proviso, 
obliging  me,  the  said  Patrick  Ferguson,  under  my  hand 
and  seal  to  cause  a  particular  description  of  the  nature 
of  my  said  Invention  and  in  what  manner  the  same 
are  to  be  performed,  to  be  inrolled  in  His  Majesty's 
High  Court  of  Chancery,  within  four  calendar  months 
next  and  immediately  after  the  date  of  the  said  recited 
Letters  Patent,  as  in  and  by  the  same,  relation  being 
thereunto  had,  may  more  fully  and  at  large  appear. 

"Now  know  ye,  that  in  compliance  with  the  said  pro- 
viso, I,  the  said  Patrick  Ferguson,  do  hereby  declare 
that  my  said  Invention  of  improvements  upon  fire-arms 
is  executed  in  the  following  manner,  and  agreeable  to 
the  map  or  plan  thereof  laid  down  in  the  schedule  here- 
unto annexed,  and  the  reference  to  the  said  jalan  be 
hereunder  mentioned,  that  is  to  say,"  etc. 

The  specifications  follow,  after  wliich  the  document 
concludes : 

"In  witness  whereof,  the  said  Patrick  Ferguson  hath 
hereunto  set  his  hand  and  seal,  this  Seventh  day  of 
March,  One  thousand  seven  hundred  and  seventy-seven. 
Pat.  (L.  S.)  Ferguson.  Sealed  and  delivered  (being 
first  duly  stampt),  in  the  i:)resence  of  Sarah  Vale,  Wm. 
Hardy. 


THE  FEEGUSON  EIFLE  245 

"And  be  it  remember,  that  on  the  same  Seventh  day 
of  March,  in  the  year  last  alcove  mentioned,  the  afore- 
said Patrick  Ferguson  came  before  our  said  Lord  the 
King,  in  His  Chancery,  and  acknowledged  the  Specifica- 
tion of  the  Inventions  aforesaid,  and  all  and  everything 
therein  contained  and  specified,  in  form  above  written. 
And  the  statute  made  in  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign  of 
the  late  King  and  Queen  William  and  Mary  of  England, 
and  so  forth: 

"Inrolled  the  Twenty-ninth  day  of  March,  in  the 
seventeenth  year  of  the  reign  of  King  George  the  Third." 

General  de  Peyster  presented  a  badge  to  the  American 
Eifle  Association,  of  Westchester  County,  New  York, 
"for  the  encouragment  of  shoulder-shooting  in  the  Na- 
tional Guard  with  military  rifles."  The  badge  is 
attached  to  a  blue  ribbon  and  the  centre  is  of  plain 
burnished  gold,  with  an  engraved  design  of  Apollo 
(Helios),  the  first  archer,  shooting  from  the  chariot  of 
the  sun.  On  the  sides  are  figures  of  an  Indian  and  a 
rifleman,  embodying  the  extremes  of  American  missile 
weapons.  These  figures,  of  silver,  are  raised.  The  base 
represents  the  missiles  of  all  ages.  It  was  designed  by 
Captain  AVilliam  Walcutt  and  executed  by  Tifl;any  and 
Company.  The  first  match  took  place  on  Washington's 
Birthday,  1875,  at  ]\Iount  Vernon,  New  York. 

To  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  General  de  Peyster  gave  a  collec- 
tion of  books,  valuable  photographs  of  Generals  Kearny 
and  Phelps,  a  shell  taken  from  the  battlefield  of  Sharps- 
burg,  two  shells  taken  from  the  field  of  Gettysburg,  a  tin 
canteen  from  the  field  of  Williamsburg,  and  a  rebel 
shell  from  the  field  of  Antietam,  the  latter  being  very 
rare.  He  gave  a  valuable  collection  of  books  to  the 
United  States  School  of  Engineers,  at  Willet's  Point, 
New  York. 

The  library  of  the  United  States  j\Iilitary  Academy  at 
West  Point  was  presented  with  a  photograph  of  General 
Kearny,  suitably  framed,  a  collection  of  military  works, 
including  General  de  Peyster's  Eeports  as  Military  Agent 


246  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

of  New  York,  his  life  of  Torstenson,  his  works  on 
Napoleon,  and  a  curious  and  valuable  Arabian  saddle  and 
bridle.  He  presented  collections  of  books  to  the  Military 
Service  Institution,  at  Governor's  Island,  New  York,  to 
the  Toledo  Soldiers'  Memorial  Association,  to  the  Veter- 
ans of  the  Ninth  Eegiment,  and  to  the  Eighty-third  New 
York  Volunteers. 


CHAPTER  LI 

COLLEGES   AND  LIBRARIES 

General  de  Peyster's  more  important  gifts  to  seats  of 
learning  include  the  beautiful  Library  erected  for 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  at  Lancaster,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Constructed  of  brick  and  marble,  it  consists  of 
a  main  building  with  a  tower  three  stories  high,  from 
which  wings  extend  on  three  sides.  At  the  entrance 
marble  steps  ascend  beneath  an  arch,  also  of  marble, 
the  top  of  which  forms  a  balcony  on  the  second  story. 
A  massive  stone  tablet,  let  into  the  wall  on  the  left  of 
the  entrance,  bears  the  inscription: 

"This  Library  is  Erected  as  a  Memorial  of  John  Watts, 
*Vir  Aequanimitatis,'  and  of  Frederic  de  Peyster,  'Vir 
Auctoritatis,'  by  a  Grandson  and  Son,  Who,  bearing  both 
names,  seeks  to  continue  in  their  Honor  the  good  they 
did  and  taught  him." 

A  bronze  statue  of  De  Heer  Abraham  de  Peyster, 
presented  by  the  General,  stands  in  front  of  the  library. 
The  interior  of  the  building  is  very  attractive.  The 
ceilings  are  of  pressed  steel,  painted  a  delicate  blue,  and 
the  walls  of  brickwork  of  a  pale  straw-color.  It  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  beautiful  library  buildings  in  the 
State  of  Pennsylvania.  At  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone, 13  May,  1897,  the  presentation  address  was  made 
by  Mr.  A.  H.  Eothermel,  on  behalf  of  General  de 
Peyster. 

"Whatever  else  he  has  accomplished,  or  may  accom- 
plish, to  entitle  him  to  undying  fame,"  said  Mr, 
Eothermel,  in  part,  "General  de  Peyster  must  live  in 
history  as  a  scholar  and  a  patron  of  letters  and  art. 
Other  men  have  dedicated  their  lives  to  study  and 
research  as  a  means  to  an  end,  and  not  unworthily  so; 
but  he  has  read  and  thought  and  written  for  upwards  of 

247 


248  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

fifty  years  for  love  of  knowledge.  Endowed  with  an 
almost  super-human  breadth  and  grasp  of  intellect, 
sustained  by  a  most  faithful  memory,  he  has  acquainted 
himself  with  the  principles  of  nearly  every  known  science. 
In  matters  of  public  opinion,  and  questions  of  state  and 
international  policy,  ho  has  always  been  equally  interested 
and  well-informed.  Having  numbered  among  his  close 
personal  friends  many  of  the  presidents,  generals,  and 
public  men  of  this  country  for  several  generations,  his 
influence  upon  the  policy  of  our  government  has  been 
felt  in  many  crises.  In  his  quiet  retreat  on  the  Hudson, 
the  Sage  of  Eose  Hill  has  been  sought  for  counsel  and 
advice,  by  men  high  in  authority  in  his  native  state  and 
in  the  nation.  And.  there,  at  Tivoli,  in  the  new  world, 
men  of  letters  universally  have  turned  to  him  as  their 
friend  and  patron ;  even  as  they  sought  out  ]\Iaecenas  in  his 
retreat  among  the  Sabine  Hills,  near  Tivoli,  in  the  old." 

Before  erecting  the  library  building  General  de  Peyster 
had  presented  the  College  with  many  books.  The 
following  letter,  expressing  the  gratitude  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  is  dated  at  Franklin  and  ]\Iarshall  College,  6 
July,  1894,  and  signed  by  Professor  Joseph  H.  Dubbs, 
Corresponding  Secretary. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  tlie  Board  of 
Trustees,  at  its  annual  meeting,  lield  on  the  17th  inst., 
was  officially  informed  that  during  the  past  year  'General 
John  "Watts  de  Peyster,  Litt.  D.,  of  Tivoli,  Duchess  Co., 
]^.  Y.,  presented  to  the  Library  of  the  College  nine 
hundred  and  twenty  volumes  (lie  had  previously  presented 
three  hundred  and  twenty  volumes)  many  of  which  are 
quite  valuable.'  The  Corresponding  Secretary  was, 
therefore,  directed  to  convey  to  Gen.  de  Peyster  the  hearty 
thanks  of  the  Board  for  his  great  kindness;  and  it  was 
further  ordered  that  this  action  be  spread  upon  the 
minutes. 

"Permit  me  to  say  that  it  affords  me  pleasure  to  be 
the  medium  of  this  communication;  and  to  assure  you 
that  your  generosity  is  greatly  appreciated  by  all  the 
friends  of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College." 


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COLLEGES  AND  LIBKARIES  249 

The  General's  gifts  to  Columbia  University,  New- 
York,  cover  a  period  of  many  years.  The  most  impor- 
tant of  his  donations  of  books  was,  perhaps,  the  large 
library  of  authorities  on  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  together 
with  valuable  prints  and  portraits  of  the  Queen.  He  also 
presented  to  the  University  a  collection  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  volumes  on  the  Tliirty  Years'  War. 

A  gift  of  books  to  Pennsylvania  College,  Gettysburg, 
elicited  the  following  note  of  acknowledgment,  5  June, 
1895,  from  President  H.  W.  M.  Knight:  "The  faculty 
wishes  me  to  express  sincere  thanks  to  you  for  the  copies 
of  your  writings  on  Napoleon  presented  to  the  College. 
We  appreciate  your  kind  remembrance  of  us,  and  wish 
that  you  could  find  it  convenient  to  visit  us  and  our 
great  battlefield  once  more.  You  would  see  many  and 
gratifying  changes." 

Donations  of  books  and  pamphlets  to  Harvard  College 
cover  the  period  between  1857  and  1901.  The  General 
also  gave  numerous  books  and  pamphlets  to  Yale  Uni- 
versity, Princeton,  Cornell,  Johns  Hopkins,  Rutgers 
College,  the  New  York  College,  St.  Stephen's  College, 
at  Annandale-on-the-Hudson,  Muhlenburg  College,  at 
Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  McAllister  College,  at  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota,  Mercersbury  Academy,  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  Cazenovia  Seminary.  His  gifts  to  Nebraska 
College,  Nebraska  City,  comprised  a  large  collection 
of  books  and  many  valuable  pamphlets.  He  presented 
to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  numerous  books  and 
pamphlets,  including  his  works  on  Napoleon. 

He  gave  collections  of  books  to  many  Theological 
Schools  and  Seminaries.  One  of  the  most  notable  of 
these  donations  was  made  to  the  Missionary  Institute,  at 
Selinsgrove,  Pennsylvania,  afterwards  called  the  Susque- 
hanna University.  He  gave  the  works  of  Melanchthon, 
consisting  of  twenty-sis  volumes,  to  the  Union  Theologi- 
cal Seminary  of  New  York.  Other  donations  were  made 
to  the  Wesleyan  University,  Middletown,  Connecticut, 
the  Nashotah  Theological  Seminary,  in  Wisconsin,  and 
the  Drew  Theological  Seminary. 


250  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

His  gifts  of  books  to  the  New  York  Historical  Society 
amounted  to  nearly  three  thousand  volumes,  besides  many 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts.  The  following  is  from  the 
Minutes  of  the  Society. 

"New  York  Historical  Society.  At  a  stated  meeting 
of  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  held  in  its  Hall, 
on  Tuesday  evening,  November  7,  1865,  Mr.  Schell,  in 
behalf  of  the  Executive  Committee,  reported  the  follow- 
ing Eesolutions  which  they  recommend  for  adoption: 

"Eesolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Society  are  eminent- 
ly due  and  are  hereby  respectfully  tendered  to  Gen.  John 
Watts  de  Peyster,  for  the  valuable  collection  of  books  on 
Holland,  from  his  private  library,  brought  together  by 
him  at  great  expense  of  time  and  money,  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  his  own  studies  and  works  in  Dutch  History  and 
Antiquities,  and  now  presented  by  him  to  the  Society. 

"Eesolved,  That  the  books  thus  presented,  together 
with  the  works  of  a  similar  character  heretofore  placed 
in  the  library  by  Gen.  de  Peyster,  be  arranged  together 
and  be  hereafter  known  and  distinguished  as  The  De 
Peyster  Collection. 

"Resolved,  That  the  foregoing  resolutions  be  com- 
municated to  Gen'l  de  Peyster,  as  a  grateful  acknowledg- 
ment, on  the  part  of  the  Society,  of  this  additional 
evidence  of  his  zeal  and  interest  in  the  objects  of  the 
institution.'^ 

His  donations  to  the  Society  also  include  an  autograph 
letter  of  Robert  Fulton,  dated  at  Washington,  20 
November,  1807,  and  addressed  to  Chancellor  Livingston ; 
a  large  photograph  of  the  equestrian  portrait  of  General 
Kearny;  a  photograph  of  an  engraving  of  Diana  of 
Poitiers;  a  photograph  from  a  miniature  of  General 
McDougal;  a  photograph  of  Colonel  John  Lawrence;  a 
sword  of  Brigadier-General  Richard  Montgomery;  a 
stone  hatchet,  probably  Indian,  found  on  the  Chancellor 
Livingston  place;  Historical  Atlas  of  Wisconsin,  Bost- 
wick's  Historical  and  Genealogical  Charts,  and  many  old 
maps,  among  them  one  of  the  old  de  Peyster  property 
on  Bloomingdale,   now   Cathedral   Heights,  New   York 


COLLEGES  AND  LIBRAEIES  251 

City.  A  notable  gift  to  the  Society,  the  De  Peyster 
family  papers,  received  the  following  acknowledgment. 

"New  York  Historical  Society.  At  a  Stated  Meeting 
of  the  Society,  held  on  Tuesday  evening.  May  3d,  1892, 
the  President  submitted  and  read  a  letter  from  General 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  presenting  to  the  Society  a  collec- 
tion of  Family  Papers. 

"The  following  Eesolutions  presented  by  Mr.  Edward 
F.  de  Lancey  were  unanimously  adopted. 

"Eesolved,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Kew  York  Historical 
Society  be  and  are  hereby  given  to  General  John  Watts 
de  Peyster  for  the  unique  and  most  valuable  gift  of  the 
ancient  historical  manuscripts,  documents,  maps  and 
deeds,  so  long  in  the  possession  of  this  distinguished  New 
York  family,  of  which  he  is  a  well-known  representative ; 
a  gift  which  illustrates  in  the  clearest  and  strongest 
manner  New  York  as  a  Dutch  Colony,  an  English 
Province,  an  Independent  Sovereignty,  and  the  greatest 
member  of  the  Eepublic  of  the  United  States  of  North 
America. 

"Eesolved,  That  this  collection  be  added  to  that 
formerly  given  to  this  Society  by  the  donor's  honored 
Father  [Frederic  de  Peyster],  one  of  its  Presidents,  and 
that,  in  honor  both  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  the  joint 
collection  be  denominated  The  de  Peyster  Papers." 

IJnder  the  caption,  '^atts  de  Peyster  Collection — 
Napoleon  Buonaparte,"  the  Quarterly  Issue  of  the 
Smithsonian  Miscellaneous  Collections,  1904,  gives  the 
following  account  of  one  of  General  de  Peyster's  most 
notable  donations  of  books. 

"The  collection  of  books  in  the  Smithsonian  Institu- 
tion known  as  the  'Watts  de  Peyster  Collection — Napoleon 
Buonaparte,'  was  brought  together  by  General  John 
Watts  de  Peyster,  of  New  York,  a  descendant  of  the 
distinguished  family  of  that  name  which  emigrated  to 
this  country  early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  General  de 
Peyster  was  born  in  1821,  just  after  the  time  of  the 
great  Napoleon,  and  early  in  life  commenced  to  accumu- 
late a  library  of  Napoleonic  literature  which  has  grown 


252  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

under  liis  fostering  care  to  a  collection  of  books  number- 
ing in  the  thousands.  Through  his  untiring  efforts  the 
world  has  been  searched  for  books,  pamphlets,  maps,  etc., 
relating  to  Napoleon  Buonaparte,  or  to  the  military 
celebrities  and  others  connected  with  him. 

"In  the  latter  part  of  1901  General  de  Peyster  offered 
to  the  Institution  the  collection,  to  be  held  intact  and  to 
be  known  by  the  name  above  given.  General  de  Peyster 
estimated  that  there  would  be  al^out  two  thousand  titles, 
but  considerably  more  than  that  number  have  been 
received,  and  there  is  promise  that  further  search  will 
reveal  others  in  the  libraries  of  General  de  Peyster's 
residences  at  Tivoli  and  New  York  City.  At  the  time 
of  sending  the  first  j)art  of  the  collection  General  de 
Peyster  conservatively  estimated  its  value  at  ten  thousand 
dollars,  but  this  estimate  is  evidently  far  below  the 
real  pecuniary  worth  of  the  collection,  as  many  of  the 
volumes  have  long  been  out  of  print  and  are  now  well 
nigh  priceless.  As  a  historical  collection  the  value  of  the 
library  is  beyond  estimate. 

"The  l)ooks,  together  with  the  pamphlets  and  maps, 
are  cared  for  in  twenty-four  cases  specially  built  for 
them  and  arranged  along  the  north  and  south  walls  of 
the  main  hall  of  the  eastern  wing  of  the  Smithsonian 
building.  Each  group  of  cases  is  provided  with  a 
conspicuous  label  giving  the  name  of  the  collection.  A 
number  of  busts  of  Napoleon  and  of  others  of  his  time, 
which  General  de  Pej'ster  collected  in  connection  with 
the  library,  are  to  be  placed  on  the  tops  of  the  cases  as 
soon  as  proper  mountings  are  prepared.  A  special  book- 
plate is  in  preparation  and  as  soon  as  engraved  will  be 
placed  in  each  volume.  It  is  hoped  that  ere  long  a 
complete  card  catalo.gue  will  be  made  and  published,  thus 
making  this  magnificent  collection  more  fully  accessible 
to  students. 

"In  addition  to  his  Napoleonic  library,  General  de 
Peyster  has  presented  a  large  number  of  histories  of  the 
x'lmerican  Eevolution  and  the  Civil  War,  dictionaries, 
encyclopedias,  and  other  books  of  reference,  together  with 


COLLEGES  AND  LIBRAEIES  253 

numerous  works  on  Gypsies,  all  of  which  he  acquired 
during  the  prosecution  of  his  various  studies.  Through 
his  munificence,  also,  the  historical  collections  of  the 
Institution  have  been  enriched  by  many  objects  relating 
to  the  Colonial  period  of  America,  including  tableware, 
pistols,  guns,  pictures,  etc." 

General  de  Peyster  also  presented  to  the  institution  a 
portrait  of  General  Cust  of  the  British  Army,  photo- 
graphs of  war  shells  and  bullets,  and  four  prints  of  the 
AVolverine.  He  gave  to  the  Library  of  Congress  a  large 
number  of  books  and  pamphlets.  To  the  State  Library 
at  Albany,  New  York,  he  donated  many  books  and 
pamphlets,  including  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of 
Early  English  Law  Eeports,  together  with  a  marble  bust 
of  Hon.  John  Watts,  a  photograph  from  the  original 
painting  of  Dr.  John  Livingston,  photographs  of  General 
de  Peyster  and  Leonard  Torstenson,  photographs  of 
Swedish  medals,  eleven  engravings  of  battlefields,  maps, 
a  number  of  portraits,  medals,  coins,  and  a  bow  and 
arrow. 

To  the  Massachusetts  State  Library  he  gave  a  collection 
of  books,  as  also  to.  the  Library  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. To  the  Vermont  State  Library  he  presented 
photographs  of  Generals  Kearny  and  Phelps  and  a 
number  of  volumes.  To  the  Michigan  State  Library  he 
gave  numerous  books  and  pamphlets,  including  numbers 
of  the  United  Service  Magazine.  To  the  Mercantile 
Library  of  New  York  he  gave  many  valuable  books  and 
pamphlets,  as  he  did  to  the  Lenox,  Astor,  Cooper  Union, 
and  New  York  Society  libraries.  He  gave  books  and 
pamphlets  to  the  Mercantile  Library  of  the  city  of 
Brooklyn.  The  Boston  Public  Library  received  from 
him  nearly  a  hundred  books  and  many  pamphlets.  To 
the  Brookline,  Massachusetts,  Library  he  gave  four 
pampldets. 

The  Libraries  of  Duluth  and  Helena  were  the  recip- 
ients of  large  collections  of  books,  while  he  made 
additions  to  the  libraries  of  Eeading,  St.  Louis,  and  the 
Eedwood  Library  of  Newport,  Ehode  Island.     To  the 


254  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Detroit  Public  Library  he  gave  many  books  and  pamph- 
lets and  a  portrait  of  Arent  de  Peyster.  The  Lyceum 
Library,  at  Casenovia,  New  York,  is  indebted  to  him  for 
a  large  number  of  volumes.  In  addition  to  the  portraits 
and  the  bust  presented  by  him  to  the  city  of  Kearney, 
Nebraska,  he  gave  to  its  Public  Library  donations  of 
books. 

One  of  his  gifts  to  the  State  Library  at  Albany  drew 
forth  the  following,  dated  26  September,  1898,  from  the 
State  Historian,  Mr.  Hugh  Hastings. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
esteemed  favor  of  the  25th  inst.,  and  also  the  two 
valuable  pamplilets  which  were  read  by  your  father, 
Frederic  de  Peyster,  before  the  New  York  Historical 
Society,  on  'Eepresentative  Men  of  the  English  Eevolu- 
tion,'  and  'Life  and  Administration  of  the  Earl  of 
Bellomont,'  for  which  it  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to 
say  I  tender  you  my  most  grateful  thanks. 

"It  is  somewhat  of  a  commentary  on  the  way  our 
American  people  have  of  doing  things,  that  the  only 
papers  which  are  accessible  to  the  public  by  the  generosity 
of  the  State,  represent  two  dyed-in-the-wool  Eepublicans 
like  George  Clinton  and  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  while  the 
papers  of  John  Jay  at  Washington,  Alexander  Hamilton 
and  George  Washington  are  manipulated  from  the  Gov- 
ernment Archives  for  private  purposes  and  private  profit." 

To  the  ]\Iuseum  of  Natural  History  of  the  City  of  New 
York  General  de  Peyster  made  many  additions.  He 
presented  it  with  a  large  collection  of  valuable  books, 
many  of  them  early  editions,  very  rare.  The  Librarian, 
Anthony  Wood,  writes  in  acknowledgment  of  one  set 
presented  in  1902 : 

"The  four  little  volumes  of  American  Ornithology,  or 
the  Natural  History  of  the  Birds  of  the  United  States,  by 
Alex.  Wilson  and  Chas.  Lucian  Bonaparte,  edited  by 
Chas.  Jameson,  dated  1831,  are  a  great  addition  to  our 
Library.  I  showed  it  to  Prof.  Allen,  and  he  was  very 
much  pleased  to  see  this  edition.  I  will  venture  to  state 
that  it  is  the  only  copy  that  can  be  found  in  New  York 


COLLEGES  AND  LIBRAKIES  255 

City  Libraries.  We  now  have  the  four  editions,  one  in 
1828, 1831,  1832,  and  1852,  and  the  edition  you  presented 
is  the  rarest." 

The  General  presented  another  edition  of  this  work  to 
the  museum  in  1903.  Other  gifts  are  a  photograph  of  a 
Woodchuck,  specimens  of  Moosewood,  a  section  of  pear 
tree  perforated  by  Peckers,  a  fur  cap,  and  a  large  collec- 
tion of  maps.  A  note  of  thanks  from  Curator  J.  A. 
Allen,  in  acknowledgment  of  one  of  his  gifts,  contains 
the  following: 

"The  mounted  specimen  of  "Wolverine  has  reached  the 
Museum  in  excellent  condition.  It  is  the  most  highly 
colored  and  in  the  best  coat  of  any  specimen  I  have  ever 
seen,  and  forms  a  greatly  appreciated  addition  to  our 
collection." 

General  de  Peyster  made  contributions  to  the  Holland 
Society  of  New  York;  to  the  New  England  Historic 
Genealogical  Society,  to  which  he  gave,  in  addition 
to  books  and  pamphlets,  a  photograph  of  a  portrait  of 
Dr.  Livingston,  and  a  photograph  of  Swedish  medals; 
gave  collections  of  books  to  the  State  Libraries  of  Wiscon- 
sin and  Montana,  to  the  Ohio  State  Archaelogical  and 
Historical  Society,  and  to  the  Historical  Societies  of  New 
Jersey,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  New 
Hampshire,  Maine,  Virginia,  West  Virginia,  Maryland, 
Michigan,  Northern  Indiana,  and  Montana;  donated  to 
the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  in  addition  to  books 
and  pamphlets,  photographs  of  John  Livingston  and 
reproductions  of  Swedish  medals ;  and  gave  to  the  Oneida 
Historical  Society  his  works  on  Napoleon. 

To  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society  he  gave  impor- 
tant works  on  the  Civil  War.  To  the  Minnesota  Histor- 
ical Society  he  presented  a  large  collection  of  volumes, 
and  portraits  of  Generals  Kearny  and  Phelps.  He  gave 
volumes  to  the  Historical  Society  of  Ulster  County,  New 
York.  To  the  Historical  Society  of  Montgomery  County, 
New  York,  he  deeded  Fort  Johnson,  a  relic  of  Colonial 
times.  To  the  New  Brunswick  Historical  Society  he 
gave  a  map  of  Claremont,  Fredericton,  granted  to  Colonel 


256  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Abraham  de  Peyster  for  his  services  during  the 
Eevolution. 

To  the  Newport  Historical  Society  he  gave  books, 
pamphlets,  and  a  large  photograph  of  General  Kearny; 
to  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society  presented  a  number  of 
volumes  and  pamphlets ;  and  to  the  library  of  the  Histor- 
ical Society  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  made  valuable  additions. 
To  the  Library  of  the  Numismatic  and  Antiquarian 
Society  of  Philadelphia,  he  gave  many  volumes,  a  photo- 
graph of  General  Kearny,  and  two  casts  of  medals  bearing 
the  head  of  Frederic,  King  of  Prussia.  Tlie  American 
Antiquarian  Society  Library  benefited  by  his  generous 
gifts.  To  the  American  Geographical  Society  he  pre- 
sented a  large  collection  of  books,  pamphlets  and  maps. 

He  gave  large  collections  of  books  and  pamphlets  to 
the  British  Museum,  to  the  Eoyal  United  Service  Insti- 
tution, and  to  the  Eoyal  Colonial  Institute.  To  the 
Society  of  Science,  Letters  and  Art,  London,  he  gave 
nearly  a  hundred  volumes,  together  with  valuable 
facsimile  maps.  To  the  Eoyal  Historical  Society  he 
presented  a  valuable  library,  including  his  own  works. 
To  the  famous  Bodleian  Library,  at  Oxford,  he  made  a 
number  of  donations,  and  also  to  the  University  Library 
at  Cambridge.  Other  presentations  to  English  institu- 
tions are  collections  of  pamphlets  and  books  to  the  West 
Hara  Public  Library,  at  Stratford,  and  to  Chetham's 
Library,  at  Manchester. 

The  Advocates'  Library  at  Edinburgh  was  presented 
with  a  large  collection  of  books,  pamphlets,  and  maga- 
zines. Mr.  I.  T.  Clark,  the  Keeper  of  the  Library,  wrote 
General  de  Peyster  as  follows:  "In  sending  you  the 
Curator's  acknowledgment  for  the  valuable  gift  that  you 
have  just  sent  to  their  Library,  I  would  like  the  oppor- 
tunity of  asking  you  to  accept  my  sincere  personal  thanks 
for  your  long  and  continued  kindness  to  this  Library  in 
presenting  it  with  so  many  valuable  publications.  I  also 
feel  grateful  for  the  appreciative  remarks  you  were  good 
enough  to  make  regarding  tlie  'Macfarlane  Genealogical 
Collections.'     The   Sir  William  Eraser,  whose  Trustees 


BRONZE     STATUE     OF     DE     HEER     ABAHRAM      DE      PEYSTER, 
FRANKLIN     AND     MARSHALL     COLLEGE,     LANCASTER,     PENNSYLVANIA 

John  Watts  de  Peyster,  donor  ;   George  E.   Bissell,  sculptor 


COLLEGES  AND  LIBRARIES  257 

published  the  work,  is  not  the  same  as  Sir  Wm.  Augustus 
Eraser,  author  of  Hie  Ubique,  &c.,  and  donor  a  year 
ago  of  the  very  valuable  manuscript  of  Scott's  'Marmion' 
to  this  Library." 

In  acknowledgment  of  the  gift  of  his  own  works,  the 
Curators  expressed  their  thanks  through  Mr.  Stewart, 
who  wrote:  "The  Curators  instruct  me  to  return  you 
their  most  cordial  thanks  for  the  handsome  gift  of  your 
works,  which  are  not  in  the  Library.  They  will  be 
carefully  arranged  and  bound  into  volumes. 

"We  are  especially  glad  to  have  Law's  book,  which  is 
of  supreme  interest — especially  the  Scotch  portion.  He 
gives  his  experience  in  the  most  racy  fashion.  The 
Carnegie  bits  I  thoroughly  relished. 

"I  can  sympathize  with  your  troubles,  and  can  quite 
understand  them,  as  the  older  I  get  the  more  disinclined 
I  am  to  put  pen  to  paper.  But  the  enormous  amount 
of  work  you  have  done  entitles  you  to  a  rest.  When  I 
look  at  the  bundle  you  have  sent  us  I  am  fairly  appalled 
with  astonishment.  You  remind  me  of  the  old  monks 
who  worked  for  ever  on  their  missals — less  time  for 
meals. 

"Andrew  Lang  is  not  thought  an  accurate  historian 
here,  but  simply  a  scribbler  and  sorry  book-maker.  I 
am  at  one  with  you  about  Queen  Mary's  appearance — that 
she  was  more  fascinating  than  beautiful." 

The  Clarendon  Historical  Society  of  Edinburgh,  was 
the  recipient  of  nearly  fifty  books  and  many  pamphlets. 
To  Trinity  College  at  Dublin,  the  General  presented  a 
number  of  volumes,  as  he  did  also  to  the  South  African 
Public  Library  at  Cape  Town.  One  of  the  most  impor- 
tant of  his  donations  is  the  collection  of  volumes  and 
pamphlets  sent  to  the  University  of  Upsala  in  Sweden. 
He  each  year  presented  to  this  University,  the  Johns 
Hopkins  "Studies  in  Political  Science."  To  the  Hongl 
Bibliotheket,  at  Stockholm,  he  made  donations.  To  the 
Literary  Association  of  the  Netherlands  at  Leyden  he 
made  a  number  of  donations  covering  a  period,  from 
1865    to    a    year    before    his    death.      These    included 

17 


258  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

numerous    volumes,    among    them    many    covering    the 
history  of  the  Eebellion. 

He  made  contributions  to  many  libraries,  historical 
societies,  and  seats  of  learning  in  Canada,  among  them 
a  collection  of  books  to  McGill  University  at  Montreal, 
and  to  the  University  of  Toronto.  To  the  Library  of 
Parliament  at  Ottawa  he  gave  a  number  of  volumes. 
The  Literary  and  Historical  Society  of  Quebec  received 
from  him  a  large  collection  of  books,  including  works  on 
General  Grant,  with  many  pamphlets  and  magazines,  and 
a  photograph  of  General  Kearny.  To  the  Numismatic 
and  Antiquarian  Society  of  Montreal  he  gave  numerous 
books  and  pamphlets,  with  portraits  of  Honorable  John 
Watts  and  of  Arent  de  Peyster.  He  also  made  dona- 
tions of  books  and  pamphlets  to  the  New  Brunswick 
Historical  Society. 


CHAPTER  LII 

PERSONAL   TRAITS 

General  de  Peyster's  personal  interest  in  the  charities 
which  he  had  founded^  and  in  the  institutions  to  which 
he  made  donations  continued  throughout  his  life. 

When  the  apple  and  pear  orchards  at  "Eose  Hill" 
yielded  their  ripe  fruits,  it  was  his  custom,  year  after 
year,  to  ship  it  away  in  boxes  and  barrels  to  friends  and 
acquaintances  and  to  needy  persons  known  to  him.  At 
the  approach  of  Thanksgiving  Day  and  at  Christmas 
time  he  purchased  a  supply  of  turkeys,  chickens,  wild 
game,  plum-puddings,  and  other  suggestions  of  good 
cheer,  which  found  their  way  in  baskets  to  his  friends 
and  to  the  poor.  The  needy  of  his  acquaintance  were 
often  surprised  by  the  delivery  at  their  homes  of  boxes  of 
tea,  bottles  of  a  superior  wine,  or  generous  packages  of 
delicacies. 

On  a  freezing  day  of  a  winter  of  unusual  hardships 
the  General,  seeing  a  man,  thinly  clad,  enter  a  provision 
shop,  followed  him.  After  the  man  had  given  his  humble 
order  and  departed,  General  de  Peyster  directed  the 
clerk  to  place  the  order  in  a  basket  and  to  fill  it  with 
food,  going  around  the  shop  and  pointing  out  the  articles 
he  wished  to  have  included.  More  than  once  he 
remarked  to  the  writer  that  he  had  derived  more  satis- 
faction from  Ms  simple  gifts  to  the  poor  than  from  his 
large  public  benefactions. 

We  do  not  know  what  kindness  is  alluded  to  in  the 
following  letter  from  General  Daniel  Butterfield  to 
General  de  Peyster,  9  February,  1898,  but  it  is  typical 
of  the  expressions  of  gratitude  found  by  the  writer  in  the 
General's  correspondence  during  the  preparation  of  these 
volumes. 

"The  military  world,  of  New  York  State  particularly," 

259 


260  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

v.rites  General  Butteriield,  "will  some  day  yet  do  you  full 
justice  for  your  patient,  earnest,  and  valuable  work  for 
ISTew  York  State  troops — without  which,  in  my  judgment, 
there  would  not  have  been  so  many  prepared  and  so  well 
prepared  for  the  duties  they  were  called  upon  to  perform 
in  1861.  Your  part  of  their  education  was  of  exceeding 
value. 

"Look  at  the  want  of  recognition  to  others.  It  will 
all  come  riglit  some  day.  I  want  to  thank  you,  personally 
and  cordially,  for  your  kindness  to  me  and  mine  before 
the  war  and  during  the  war.  What  you  did  for  me  I 
have  never  failed  to  appreciate  and  be  grateful  for.  If 
I  have  never  said  it  to  you,  I  have  to  others,  and  now 
I  say  it  to  you." 

The  General's  insight  forced  him  to  penetrate  the 
artificial  glamour  of  the  world,  its  institutions,  its 
opinions,  and  to  estimate  them  at  their  true  worth. 
As  a  result  he  often  characterized  things  in  plain 
and  even  brusque  terms,  calculated  to  alarm  and 
shock  conventional  nonentities  and  sleepy  optimists.  He 
did  not  dispense  with  the  amenities  and  courtesies  of 
intercourse — no  one  could  be  kindlier,  more  agreeable, 
or  more  considerate — but  he  largely  divested  himself  of 
the  hypocrisies  of  life.  He  did  not  wear  the  cloak  of 
conventionality  and  insincerity  in  which  so  many  wrap 
themselves  till  it  becomes  a  part  of  their  being — an 
element  in  their  character.  To  many  his  candor  seemed 
a  serious  blemish,  an  evidence  of  marked  idiosyncrasy. 
To  thinking  men,  however,  contact  with  such  a  force  was 
as  invigorating  as  it  must  have  been  uncomfortable  to 
shallow  exponents  of  mere  propriety. 

He  suffered  ill-health  during  the  greater  part  of  his 
life — was  often  the  victim  of  intense  physical  pain.  Most 
of  his  literary  work  was  done  under  such  conditions. 
His  letters  reveal  a  constant  wrestle  with  the  depressing 
effects  of  suffering.  Other  elements  joined  with  these 
to  tinge  his  life  and  thought  witli  a  touch  of  disappoint- 
ment. As  we  have  seen,  his  enthusiasm  in  connection 
with  the  New  York  Militia  and  during  the  Civil  War 


BUST  OF  JOHN  WATTS   DE   PEYSTER 
Modeled  by   George   E.    Bissell 


l',U 


PEESONAL  TRAITS  261 

suffered  rebuff.  His  writings,  too,  are  of  a  character 
which  necessarily  appeals  to  a  small  and  discriminating 
audience,  and  almost  invariably  in  such  cases  the  full 
measure  of  appreciation  comes  posthumously. 

These  things  made  General  de  Peyster  a  more  profound 
philosopher ;  contributed  a  ripeness,  depth,  and  pungency 
to  his  opinions  and  his  writings.  Their  personal  effect, 
however,  more  and  more  was  to  throw  him  back  upon 
himself  and  to  cause  him  to  say  of  life,  "What  profiteth 
it?"  He  outlived  all  the  friends  and  acquaintances  of 
his  early  years,  and  in  later  life  a  sense  of  aloofness 
sometimes  added  itself  to  the  texture  of  his  thought. 

"I  know  not  what  put  it  in  my  head,"  he  writes  to  a 
friend,  "but  I  woke  up  this  morning  with  a  half-dreamy 
consideration  of  the  past.  Strange  to  say,  my  mind 
wandered  back  to  my  'Mammy'  Trainque's  house  in 
Hudson  Street,  and  a  famous  supper  I  gave  there.  Of 
all  the  guests  that  I  am  sure  were  present,  with  the 
exception  of  one,  all  are  dead, — Gus  Jay,  John  March, 
Pink  Stuart,  Captain  Cornish,  Fred  Anthon,  Duncan 
Cooper,  Zeb  Ring.  Lewis  Wilkins  I  have  not  seen  for, 
certainly,  twenty-five  years.  Whether  he  is  dead  or  no, 
I  know  not.  AH  the  rest  are  gone,  and  the  majority 
were  men  of  such  iron  strength  they  gave  the  promise  of 
very  long  lives.  I  was  the  invalid  of  the  party,  and 
here  I  am,  but  I  am  not  the  John  de  Peyster  even  of  last 
summer.  Physically,  I  have  aged  ten  years  since  I  was 
at  Canandaigua,  and  matured  mentally  twenty  years. 

"If  I  was  another  man  I  could  not  look  more  differ- 
ently upon  life  than  I  did  then  and  do  now.  'Cui  bono?' 
is  ringing  all  the  time  in  my  eaps,  and  life  has  come  to 
appear  to  me  to  be  all  that  Solomon  declared.  As 
Colonel  Median  observed,  in  a  different  sense,  'I  am 
fatigued  with  all  this.'  With  this  remark  he  slapped  the 
face  of  a  general  who  had  been  n)lowing.'  Per  contra, 
in  my  case.  Fate  has  slapped  me,  and  yet  I  have  the 
greatest  reason  to  thank  God  for  all  the  blessings  I  enjoy." 

Even  as  he  was  depressed  at  times  by  physical  pain, 
disappointment,  ingratitude,  and  the  shadows  of  clouds 


262  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

which  showed  themselves  threateningly  on  the  political 
horizon,  so  was  he  occasionally  elated — inspired — by  a 
spirit  of  buoyant  and  almost  boyish  enthusiasm.  "One 
day,"  he  writes,  "I  came  in  from  the  road  in  a  good 
humor,  happy,  blithe,  content — a  rare  occurrence  in  these 
latter  days,  when  I  always  come  back  with  the  'blues' — 
and  told  my  clerk  to  take  his  pen,  and  I  then  and  there 
dictated  the  skeleton  of  an  article  on  Yorktown  which 
grew  to  thirty-five  pages. 

"I  was  very  diffident  about  it,  although  the  editor 
wrote  me  that  'he  was  proud  of  it.'  Imagine  my  aston- 
ishment when  I  received  a  letter  to-day — that  they  are 
striking  off  ten  thousand  copies  of  it,  in  addition  to  the 
usual  edition  in  the  Magazine." 

His  ailments  and  physical  experiences,  like  everything 
else  that  came  within  his  range  of  observation,  were 
matters  of  peculiar  interest  and  scientific  ipquiry. 
Physicians  who  attended  him  were  subjected  to  intelli- 
gent cross-examination  and  their  opinions  commented 
upon  in  a  way  that  astonished  and  sometimes  disconcerted 
them.  In  his  reminiscences  he  gives  us  the  following 
interesting  account  of  a  very  curious  experience. 

"Some  years  ago  I  was  suffering  from  neurasthenia, 
or  nerve  prostration,  caused,  as  the  doctor  said,  by 
mental  overwork.  One  morning,  after  I  got  up,  I  was 
sitting  in  front  of  the  fire,  and  my  clerk  was  writing  at 
the  table  near  by,  when  I  seemed  to  come  out  of  myself 
and  stand,  a  distinct  individuality,  looking  down  upon 
my  sitting-self,  and  wondering,  somewhat  frightened,  if 
the  standing  existence  was  going  to  get  into  the  sitting 
form  again.  All  at  once,  my  standing-self  came  to  the 
conclusion  to  ask  my  clerk  to  get  me  a  drink  of  whiskey. 

"Whatever  it  was,  whether  at  my  voice,  or  the  spot 
from  which  it  seemed  to  come,  my  clerk  was  startled  and 
appeared  scared;  still  he  got  the  whiskey.  My  sitting- 
self  drank  it  and  gradually  my  standing-self  seemed  to 
return  slowly  into  my  sitting-self.  All  further  that  I 
can  recall  is  that  my  feelings  were  very  peculiar. 

"Once  afterward  similar  sensations  occurred  to  me  in 


PERSONAL  TRAITS  263 

bed,  in  Philadelphia,  after  taking  a  cold  bath,  when  I 
was  very  much  fatigued,  and  at  night,  before  going  to 
sleep.  I  knew  I  was  very  cold,  and  I  seemed  to  be 
coming  out  of  myself.  My  wife  got  me  a  glass  of 
whiskey,  and  as  I  became  warm,  things  went  on 
naturally. 

"I  afterwards  read  of  the  Buddhist  or  Schamanistic 
idea  of  an  Astral  Entity,  which  could  disengage  itself 
and  remain  sometimes  distinct  and  absent  from  the  flesh, 
which  meanwhile  continued  torpid.  Subsequently,  Dr. 
John  E.  Lossee  sent  me  to  consult  a  famous  expert  on 
nervous  diseases.  Dr.  Beard,  since  dead,  who  told  me 
that  he  had  on  record  several  instances  such  as  I  have 
related.  It  never  happened  again,  I  am  thankful  to 
say." 

General  de  Peyster  exhibited  remarkable  powers  of 
memory,  and  as  his  reading — and  he  was  a  constant  and 
omnivorous  reader — was  of  the  widest  scope,  he  had  at 
command  for  instant  use  a  range  of  human  knowledge 
which  almost  made  him  appear  to  be  a  specialist  in  every 
department.  Happy  in  applying  the  deductions  from 
his  vast  store  of  information  in  any  line  of  thought 
pursued,  he  was  a  brilliant  and  interesting  conver- 
sationalist. 

In  his  later  years  he  was  a  great  sufferer  from 
insomnia,  and  on  such  occasions  he  could  be  found  in  his 
bed  or  upon  a  couch  reading  in  the  soft  light  of  half 
a  dozen  candles — a  book  in  one  hand,  a  pen  or  pencil 
in  the  other,  and  a  dozen  volumes  lying  within  conve- 
nient reach.  In  his  reading  it  was  his  custom  to  under- 
score passages  which  impressed  him  or  to  which  he  might 
wish  to  refer,  and  to  annotate  with  copious  marginal 
notes. 

Notes  will  be  found  in  a  majority  of  the  books  which 
formed  his  large  private  library,  thousands  of  which 
were  given  away  to  college  libraries.  These  marginal 
annotations  must  greatly  enhance  the  value  of  the  volumes 
for  discerning  readers  who  have  access  to  them.  They  are 
rich  with  the  fruits  of  the  General's  enormous  research, 


264  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

astonishing  memory,  and  critical  judgment.  They  form 
a  valuable  commentary  upon  the  text.  They  indicate 
corroborative  or  adverse  evidence  to  be  found  elsewhere, 
which  only  the  painstaking  investigation  of  innumerable 
authorities  could  supply.  Many  of  the  works  referred 
to  in  these  notes  are  so  rare  and  so  little  read  that  there 
is  small  chance  that  the  ordinary  student  will  have  heard 
of  their  existence. 

The  General  once  possessed  a  library  of  some  fifty 
thousand  volumes,  which  by  his  generous  gifts  of  books 
to  colleges  and  libraries  had  been  reduced  about  one-half 
in  his  later  years.  The  writer  can  testify  to  the  remark- 
able knowledge  of  the  contents  of  these  volumes  possessed 
by  their  owner.  Again  and  again,  arrived  at  some  point 
in  our  conversation  in  which  we  differed  as  to  the  facts, 
I  have  known  him  to  stop  and  direct  me  to  go  to  a 
certain  shelf  in  a  certain  room  of  his  library  where,  in 
the  position  on  the  shelf  designated  by  him,  I  would 
find  a  volume.  He  would  open  the  book  and  turn  to 
the  page  he  desired  as  if  by  magic.  I  am  bound  to  add 
that  in  our  differences  as  to  questions  of  fact,  he  was 
almost  invariably  able  to  confront  me  with  an  authority. 

By  ancestral  inheritance  an  aristocrat,  and  with  his 
entire  life  lived  in  outward  circumstances  which  naturally 
would  have  fostered  this  tendency,  his  philosophical  bent 
of  mind  and  comprehension  of  the  real  value  of  men  and 
things  tended  ever  more  and  more  to  make  him  a 
democrat  toward  his  neighbor  and  a  republican  toward 
the  State.  While  human  dignity  and  lofty  social  and 
political  standing,  apart  from  inherent  manhood,  elicited 
no  response,  he  had  a  rare  kindness  of  heart  for  mankind, 
and  took  pains  to  exhibit  a  special  consideration  toward 
those  beneath  him  in  the  social  scale.  He  had  the  grace 
of  the  ideal  gentleman  in  making  all  such  feel  at  ease  in 
his  presence,  and  he  threw  the  tender  arms  of  an 
enduring  friendship  about  many  a  man  in  the  humbler 
walks  of  life. 

He  had  a  profound  conviction  that  God  presides  over 
the  destinies  of  our  country  for  wise  purposes  of  His 


u  i;  I V 

I  II 


JOHN    WATTS    DE    PEYSTER 
From  a  Photograph  taken   in  1905 


PEESONAL  TRAITS  2G5 

own.  This  was  his  consolation  and  assurance  in  the  face 
of  disturbing  symptoms  which  sometimes  seemed  to 
prophesy  financial,  social,  or  political  upheaval.  "Few 
men  live  who  know  as  much  as  I  do  of  the  inside  of 
American  history,"  he  wrote  to  the  Count  of  Paris. 
"God  alone  has  brought  us  through  our  various  trials. 
'No  man,  no  set  of  men — God  alone.  I  have  hoped  in 
the  endurance  of  the  United  States  because  I  believe  that 
God  is,  here  in  the  United  States,  solving  some  great 
problem  in  connection  with  humanity. 

"A  Dutch  ambassador  or  minister  said  that  during  his 
residence  of  many  years  in  the  United  States  he  had 
witnessed  frequent  crises  when,  according  to  the  ordinary 
calculations  of  chances,  the  whole  thing  ought  to  have 
gone  to  pieces,  but  when  the  culmination  was  reached 
something  beyond  human  calculation  intervened, 
readjusted  the  machinery,  and  everything  came  right 
again.  'This,^  said  the  acute  Dutchman,  'has  brought 
me  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is  a  special  Providence 
for  idiots,  lunatics,  drunken  people,  and  the  United 
States.' " 

As  early  as  3  March,  1864,  General  de  Peyster  wrote 
to  Eeverend  Doctor  Coxe:  "I  am  just  reading  your 
graceful  sketches  of  England,  but,  mercy  me,  with  what 
different  feelings !  You  speak  of  'Brutal  Cromwell,'  and 
of  gratitude  to  Charles  I.  I  say,  glorious  Cromwell,  the 
greatest  of  England's  rulers,  save  the  Dutchman,  William 
III.,  and — I  came  near  using  a  word — false  Charles, 
false  to  Stafford,  false  to  England,  false  to  himself ! 
Young,  I  was  very  aristocratic;  middle  age,  I  am 
thoroughly  republican,  because  I  believe  democracy,  in 
the  true  sense  of  the  word,  Biblical.  You  seem  almost 
monarchical  in  your  feelings.  I  can  understand,  for  I 
felt  so  once.  Now  I  look  on  monarchy  as  a  humbug. 
My  dear  country,  the  republica,  takes  the  place,  and  I 
embrace  the  flag,  with  less  emotion,  perhaps,  but  truer 
devotion,  than  did  that  arch  hypocrite,  Napoleon,  the 
flag  of  his  sacrificed  Guard," 


BIBLIOGKAPHY 


BIBLIOGEAPHY 

1834 

A  Tale  of  Leipsic,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  Pealjody's 
Parlour  Journal,  19  April.  This  is  the  first  article  by 
General  de  Peyster  ever  published.  He  was,  at  the  time, 
tliirteen  years,  one  month,  old. 

1846-47 

Proofs  considered  in  connection  with  the  Vindication 
of  Sir  John  Johnson,  Bart.  An  Address  before  the 
New  York  Historical  Society,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  Appendix 
I,  i-xii  pages,  octavo. 

Proofs  considered  *  *  *  being  a  second  Appendix, 
reprinted  from  Proceedings  of  the  New  Jersey  Historical 
Society,  Volume  II,  pages  115-122,  127-128,  pages  xiii- 
xxxvi,  octavo. 

1850 

Staff  Organization,  in  United  Service  Journal,  Volume 

I,  28  December. 

1851 

Headquarters  Notices,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
United  Service  Journal,  Volume  I,  11  and  18  January. 

Staff  and  Artillery  Organization,  in  United  Service 
Journal,  Volume  I,  11  and  18  January. 

Uniformity  of  Dress,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
Volume  I,  18  January. 

Origin  of  the  Bayonet  Eifle,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
Volume  I,  22  February. 

Correspondence  to  Editor,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
1  and  15  March. 

A  Vidimus  of  the  Military  Force  of  the  principal 
European  Powers,  in  United   Service  Journal,  Volume 

II,  22  March. 

Artillery  Organization,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
Volume  II,  29  March. 

269 


270  JOHX  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Militia  Organization,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
Volume  II,  29  March. 

1853 

Eifles,  by  De  P.,  in  United  Service  Journal,  8  May. 

Prussian  Xeedle  Eifle,  by  De  P.,  in  United  Service 
Journal,  Volume  II,  19  Jirne. 

Sardinia  (Piedmont),  by  De  P.,  in  United  Service 
Journal,  19  June. 

Correspondence  to  Editor,  in  United  Service  Journal, 
Volume  II,  19  June. 

Sweden,  bv  De  P.,  in  United  Service  Journal,  Volume 
II,  26  June."    ' 

Eeport  to  His  Excellency  Wasliington  Hunt.  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Xew  York,  on  the  Organization  of  the 
Xational  Guards  and  Municipal  Military  Systems  of 
Europe,  and  the  Artillery  and  Arms  best  adapted  to  the 
State  Service,  by  Brigadier-General  J.  ^Yatts  de  Peyster, 
1  July,  i-iv,  247  pages. 

Turds  and  Tripoli,  by  De  P.,  in  United  Service 
Journal,  Volume  II,  17  July. 

Correspondence  to  Editor,  by  A.,  in  United  Service 
Journal,  Volume  III,  IS  December. 

1853 

Eeport  to  His  Excellency  Horatio  Se^Tuour,  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Xew  York,  *  *  *  on  the  Organizations 
of  the  English  and  Swiss  Militia,  *  *  *  the  French, 
Swiss  and  Prussian  Fire  Departments.  *  *  *  Eeorgani- 
zation  of  the  Military  Forces  of  the  Kingdom  of  Sardinia, 
etc..  1  June,  183  pages. 

Militia  Organization,  by  J.  Watts  de  P.,  in  the 
Eclaireur,  1  August. 

English  Militia  Organization,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
Eclaireur,  1  September. 

Cadres,  etc.,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume 
I,  1  October. 

G}TQnastics,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume 
I.  1  Xovember. 

Prussian,  Berlin,  Fire  Extinguishing  Establishment, 
by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume  I,  1  December. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  '         2:i 

Correspondence  to  Editor,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Eclaireur,  1  September  and  1  December. 

1854 

Prussian,  Berlin,  Fire  Extinguishing  Establishment, 
by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  1  January.  This  was 
also  printed,  paged  184-215,  as  a  continuation  of  the 
Eeport  as  MiHtarv  Agent,  to  GoTemor  Sevmour,  and 
bears  the  date,  23  March,  1854. 

Correspondence  to  Editor,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Eclaireur,  1  March. 

The  Piussian  Army,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur, 
Volume  I,  March. 

The  Swiss  Military  Penal  Code  and  Judiciary,  by  J. 
W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume  I,  March,  and  1  May. 

Piussia,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume  I, 
1  March,  1  April,  1  May,  and  1  June. 

Gustavus  II  Adolphus,  King  of  Sweden,  by  J.  W.  de 
P.,  in  the  Eclaireur,  Volume  I,  1  July. 
^  Leonard  Torstenson,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eclaireur, 
Volume  I,  1  July. 

1855 

OflBcial  Military  Circular,  Volume  I,  Xumber  1,  16 
pages,  octavo  (orders  signed  by  General  de  Peyster), 
January  and  Februarr. 

Eules  and  Eegulations  relative  to  the  Adjutant- 
General.  His  Department,  Duties,  etc.,  compiled  by  J. 
Watts  de  Pevster,  36  pages,  octavo. 

1856 

Correspondence,  by  Another  Friend  to  Missions,  in  the 
Protestant  Churchman,  12  April. 

Dutch  (Hollander)  Balaclavas,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
Eagle.  Poughkeepsie,  Xew  York,  7  June. 

1857 

The  United  States  Expedition  against  the  Mormons, 
by  J.  "VT.  de  P.,  in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  Xew  York. 

In  ^Memoriam.  Eheu.  Maria  I  Verses  written,  extracts 
translated,  and  sermons  composed  and  delivered  on  the 
occasion  of  the  death  of  a  Dear  Little  Girl,  bv  J.  "VT.  de 
P..  Poughkeepsie.  Xew  York.  56  pages,  1  portrait,  octavo. 


272  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  Dutch  at  the  North  Pole  and  the  Dutch  in  Maine, 
a  paper  read  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  3  ]\Iarch,  80  pages,  octavo. 

The  influence  of  Cities,  Peruando  Wood.  The  City 
of  New  York,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Columbia  Eepublican, 
Hudson,  New  York,  28  July. 

1858 


The  History  of  Carausius,  the  Dutch  Augustus  * 


^     :!: 


»' 


and  the  first  Sailor  King  of  England,  with  which  is 
interwoven  an  account  of  the  Menapii,  l^y  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  Dedicated  to  John  W.  Phelps,  Captain  United 
States  Artillery,  xxvi,  335  pages,  octavo,  Piatt  &  Schram, 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

The  Battle  of  the  Sound  or  Baltic,  Fought  October  30 
(0.  S),  (November  9,  N.  S.),  1658,  between  the  victo- 
rious Hollanders  *  *  *  and  the  Swedes,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  86  pages,  octavo.  Piatt  &  Schram,  Pough- 
keepsie, New  York. 

The  Eulers  of  Piedmont,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Express,  17  June. 

The  Eclaireur,  a  Military  Journal  devoted  to  *  *  * 
the  Military  Forces  of  New  York,  J.  AVatts  de  Peyster, 
Brigadier-General,  Editor,  Volumes  II  and  III,  August, 
1854-August,  1858. 

Proofs  considered  on  the  Early  Settlement  of  Arcadie 
by  the  Dutch,  being  an  Appendix  to  the  Dutch  in  Maine, 
19  pages,  octavo,  23  September. 

Stable  Rules,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  dated  Rose  Hill, 
Tivoli,  August,  1843-May,  1859,  4  pages,  octavo,  paper. 

1859 

The  Ground  occupied  by  the  European  Armies.  Cor- 
respondence by  Anchor,  dated  Tivoli,  New  York,  9  June. 

The  Country  of  the  War.  Correspondence  by  Anchor, 
dated  Tivoli,  New  York,  13  June,  in  the  New  York 
Express. 

Italian  Battle  Grounds,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Express,  14  June. 

Sardinia,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Express,  20 
June. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  273 

The  Lombard  Elvers.  Cromona — Battle  Grounds 
along  the  Mincio,  in  the  JSTew  York  Express,  8  July. 

Piedmontese  Territory,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Express,  9  July. 

An  Historical  Quandary,  &c.,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Express,  9  July. 

Artillery  Improvements,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Express,  19  July.  2860 

Discipline,  by  K.,  in  the  Military  Gazette,  page  266, 

The  Invincible  Armada,  by  K.,  in  the  Military  Gazette, 
pages  150,  166,  183,  196,  and  214,  15  May,  1  and  15 
June,  1  and  15  July. 

Cohorn,  the  Prince  of  Engineers,  by  K.,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  Volume  III,  pages  76,  76,  102,  118,  132  and 
165,  1  and  15  March,  1  and  15  April,  1  May,  and  1 
June. 

Views  of  the  American  Eevolution,  by  W.  P.  W.,  Notes 
by  K.  (General  de  Peyster),  in  the  Military  Gazette, 
Volume  III,  page  184,  15  June. 

Simon  Stevin  of  Bruges,  by  K.,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  Volume  III,  page  230,  1  August. 

Ho !  for  the  Pole !  By  Anchor,  octavo,  from  the  Living 
Age,  9  June,  pages  615-618,  4  August,  pages  263-268. 

Cape  Cod  and  its  Neighborhood,  by  J,  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
New  York  World,  11  September, 

Washington,  in  the  Military  Gazette,  Volume  III, 
page  297,  1  October, 

Aculco,  A  Ballad  of  Mexico,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  Volume  III,  page  326,  1  November. 

Oriskany,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Military  Gazette,  Volume 
III,  page  345. 

Examples  of  Intrepidity,  by  K.,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  1  and  15  October,  15  November,  1  and  15 
December.  1861 

Examples  of  Intrepidity,  by  K,,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  15  January  and  1  February, 

Mortality  among  Generals,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  Volume  IV,  page  24,  15  January. 

18 


274  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Battle  of  King's  Mountain,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Military 
Gazette,  Volume  IV,  pages  39,  56,  and  86,  1  and  15 
February,  15  March. 

Thrice  Killed,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Military  Gazette,  Vol- 
ume IV,  page  72,  1  March. 

New  York  to  Washington,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Pough- 
keepsie  Daily  Eagle,  Pouglikeepsie,  New  York,  20  June. 

Eighteen  Eeasons  why  we  lost  the  Battle  of  Bull's 
Eun,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Pouglikeepsie  Daily  Eagle, 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  21  August. 

Justice  to  McDowell's  Army,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Repub- 
lican and  Democrat,  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  24 
September. 

Parallels  to  Bull's  Run,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Republican 
and  Democrat,  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  24  Septem- 
ber. 

The  Austrian  Campaigns  against  Viceroy  Eugene 
Beauharnais,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader,  12 
October. 

The  Castlebar  Races,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Republican 
and  Democrat,  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  15  October. 

Military  Lessons  and  Ideas  Indispensable  to  the  Com- 
prehension of  War,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader, 
2,  16,  and  23  November. 

Reflections  on  the  Defence  of  ]\Iilitary  Positions,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  Republican  and  Democrat,  West  Chester, 
Pennsvlvania,  12  November. 

Military  Maxims,  l)y  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader, 
7  December. 

Notions  on  Tactics,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Leader,  9  November,  1861,  18  and  25  January,  15 
February,  1862. 

1862 

Winter  Campaigns,  *  *  *  by  Anchor,  Charles  G. 
Stone,  New  York,  24  pages,  duodecimo. 

Military  Conversation  about  Uniforms,  Equipment, 
Artillery,  etc.,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader,  8 
March. 

Wisdom  out  of  History  on  the  Present  Relation  of  Our 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  275 

Government  to  Slavery,  the  Eepublican,  Chester,  Penn- 
sylvania, 16  May,  reprinted  in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York,  28  June. 

Article  on  Slavery  in  the  Eepublican,  Chester,  Pennsyl- 
vania, 18  April. 

Comparison  between  American  Slavery  and  Slavery 
among  the  Hebrews  and  Early  Christians,  in  the  Eepub- 
lican and  Democrat,  West  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  27  May. 

A  Visit  to  Old  Point  Comfort  and  about  the  Contra- 
bands there,  in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York, 
12  July. 

General  Kearny,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader, 
19  July. 

Aerostation  in  the  War,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Leader,  30  August. 

Major  General  Philip  Kearny,  a  poem  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Post,  3  October. 

Military  Lessons.  Cavalry  and  Teamsters,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Leader,  4  October. 

Modern  Tactics,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader, 
18  October. 

Battles  in  Forests,  by  Anchor  in  the  New  York  Leader, 
1  November. 

Army  Transportation,  Want  of  Eeorganization,  in  the 
New  York  Times,  2  November. 

Military  Lessons,  I  Concerning  the  Qualities  a  General 
should  Possess,  II  Hannibal,  III  Tactics  of  the  Three 
Arms  united,  IV  Battle  of  Idstedt,  in  the  New  York 
Leader,  15  November. 

1863 

Practical  Strategy  as  illustrated  by  the  Life  and 
Achievements  of  *  *  *  the  Austrian  Field  Marshal 
Traun,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  Catskill,  J.  Joesbury,  64 
pages,  octavo. 

Military  Lessons.  Louis  XI,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Leader,  6  June. 

Military  Lessons,  Frederick  the  Great  and  the  Seven 
Years'  War,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader,  27 
June. 


276  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Black  Troops.  Had  Hannibal  and  Napoleon  Black 
Blood  in  their  Veins  ?  In  the  Morning  Express,  Buffalo, 
New  York,  17  July. 

Greek  Fire,  by  Anchor,  in  the  ISTew  York  Times,  26 
September. 

Secession  in  Switzerland  and  in  the  United  States 
Compared,  being  the  Annual  Address  before  the  Ver- 
mont Historical  Society,  20  October,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  72  pages,  octavo,  Catskill,  J.  Joesbury. 

An  Interesting  Article.  The  present  revolution  fore- 
told 65  years  ago,  in  the  Democratic  Journal,  Catskill, 
New  York,  22  October. 

The  Conduct  of  Military  Operations,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Times,  15  and  22  November. 

1864 

Guizot's  Meditations  on  the  Immorality  of  the  Soul, 
translation  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
24  pages,  duodecimo. 

General  Joe  Hooker,  a  poem  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Post,  27  April. 

Secession,  Historical  Parallels,  in  the  New  York  Times, 
1  May. 

The  War  in  Denmark,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Times,  15  May. 

The  Apparition  which  frightened  the  Governor  of 
Provence  out  of  his  Capital,  Marseilles,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Leader,  9  July. 

Medical  Organization  of  the  Eoman  Army,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  United  States  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  6  August. 

So  Absolom  stole  the  Hearts  of  the  Men  of  Israel. 
Poem,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Poughkeepsie  Eagle,  Pough- 
keepsie,  New  York,  6  August. 

The  Lessons  of  History,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Times,  8  August. 

Medical  Arrangements  of  the  Ancients,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  United  States  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  13  and  27 
August. 

Who  invented  Shell  Guns?  By  Anchor,  in  the  Army 
and  Navy  Journal,  3  December. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  277 

Farragut.  A  Poem  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the 
New  York  Times,  14  December. 

John  Cavalier,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Army  and  Naval 
Journal,  17  December. 

General  Joe  Hooker,  a  poem  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Times,  18  December. 

1865 

Sherman.  A  Poem,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Times,  1  January. 

Von  Bulow's  Military  Eemarks  on  the  Eevolutionary 
A¥ar,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Historical  Magazine,  May. 

Chancellorsville  and  its  Eesults.  Major-General 
Joseph  Hooker  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
by  Anchor,  June. 

1866 

Schuyler  and  Practical  Strategy,  by  Anchor,  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  dated  Eose  Hill,  27  January. 

The  War  in  Europe,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Times,  4  July. 

Prussia  and  Austria,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Daily  Star, 
Hudson,  New  York,  24  July, 

A  Scrap  of  Local  Histor}^,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Adver- 
tiser, Eed  Hook,  New  York,  8  September. 

The  Eeade  Vault,  by  De  P.  and  M.,  in  the  Advertiser, 
Eed  Hook,  New  York,  6  October. 

History  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Eegiment, 
by  Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  13  October. 

Major-General  S.  W.  Crawford,  by  Anchor,  22 
December. 

1867 

The  Decisive  Conflicts  of  the  Late  Civil  War.  *  *  * 
The  Maryland  Campaign  of  September,  1862,  by  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  76  pages,  three  maps,  octavo.  MacDonald 
&  Company,  New  York. 

An  Address  upon  the  Inauguration  of  a  Monument 
erected  by  "this  immediate  neighborhood  to  her  defend- 
ers," delivered  in  Feller's  Hall,  Madalin,  New  York,  28 
November,  1866,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster.     New  York,  122  pages,  Ix,  octavo. 


278  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  Austro-Prussian  War,  a  chronological  synopsis, 
translated  by  General  de  Peyster,  in  the  New  York 
Citizen,  9  February. 

A  Theatrical  Eeminiscence,  in  the  New  York  Citizen, 
9  March. 

France  and  Prussia,  by  Anchor,  in  the  United  States 
Army  and  Navy  Journal,  4  May. 

Letters  from  the  Battlefield,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Citizen,  8  June.       1868 

The  Decisive  Conflicts  of  the  Late  Civil  War.  *  *  * 
The  Maryland  Campaign  of  June,  July,  1863,  by  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  163  pages,  three  maps,  octavo.  MacDonald 
&  Company,  New  York. 

Mosquera's  March,  in  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Half 
Dime  Weekly,  Volume  II,  Number  5,  pages  127-128. 

On  to  Magdala,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Half  Dime  Magazine,  Volume  II,  Number  12,  pages  327- 
330. 

Williamsburgh,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Soldiers'  and 
Sailors'  Half  Dime  Magazine,  A^olume  II,  Number  10, 
pages  271-282,  and  in  Number  II,  pages  299-305. 

Reunion  of  Post  Phil  Kearny,  25  March,  1868  *  *  * 
Banner  Presentation  and  Address,  by  Major-General  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  6-17  pages,  duodecimo.  W.  0.  Bourne, 
New  York. 

BurgojTie's  Campaign.  Justice  to  Schuyler,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Citizen,  11  January. 

Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Citizen,  28  March. 

The  Chrysophrase,  in  New  York  Public  Spirit,  pages 
216-221,  octavo,  June. 

Reunion  of  Post  Phil  Kearny,  an  address  by  General 
de  Peyster,  in  the  Soldiers'  Friend,  New  York,  June. 

Grant,  Our  Watchword !  A  poem,  dated  Tivoli,  July, 
one  leaf,  octavo.  1869 

Personal  and  Military  History  of  Philip  Kearny,  by 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  13-434  pages,  octavo.  Rice  & 
Gage,  New  York. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  279 

Sickles'  Eaid,  by  Major-General  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Volunteer,  Volume  I,  ISTumber  2,  pages  31-33. 

Third  Corps  at  Gettysburg,  July  2,  1863.  General 
Sickles  Vindicated,  by  Brevet  Major-General  De  Peyster, 
in  the  Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Numbers  11,  12,  13. 

Thrice  Killed,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Volunteer,  Volume 
I,  Number  3,  pages  59-63. 

Kearny's  Death  and  Burial,  by  Major-General  de 
Peyster,  in  the  Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Number  4,  pages 
97-110. 

A  Hero  of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Number  1,  pages  22-30. 

Decisive  Battles  of  the  Late  Eebellion,  by  Major- 
General  de  Peyster,  in  the  Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Number 
7,  pages  186-193. 

Character  of  Phil  Kearny,  by  Major-General  De 
Pevster,  in  the  Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Number  1,  pages 
1-16. 

Oriskany,  by  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
the  Historical  Magazine,  January. 

After  Gettysburg  and  at  Williamsport,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  Soldiers'  Friend,  New  York,  27  March. 

Thomas  and  Nashville,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Soldiers' 
Friend,  New  York,  3  and  10  April. 

The  Conquest  of  Canada,  by  General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  the  Historical  Magazine,  pages  297-305,  ]\Iay. 

William  Starke  Eosecrans,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Soldiers' 
Friend,  New  York,  1  and  8  May,  5  and  12  June. 

The  Army  of  the  Potomac.  General  Humphreys  at 
Fredericksburg,  by  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Historical  Magazine,  June,  pages  353-356. 

Gettysburg,  in  Onward,  New  York,  May,  pages  415- 
418;  June,  pages  482-484;  July,  pages  19-22. 

Chancellorsville,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Citizen, 
14  August. 

Fredericksburg,  in  Onward,  New  York,  September, 
pages  199-208. 

Turcune-Sheridan,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Citi- 
zen, 11  September. 


280  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Correspondence,  concerning  a  flood  in  Duchess  County, 
New  York,  dated  Tivoli,  New  York,  5  October,  1869,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  Citizen  Soldier,  New  York,  30  October. 

Chancellors\dlle,  in  Onward,  New  York,  October,  pages 
337-341;  November,  pages  411-423;  December,  pages 
471-485. 

Porto  Venere,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Citizen,  1 
December. 

The  Old  Tower  Well-hole,  by  Anemone,  in  the  New 
York  Citizen,  4,  11,  and  18  December. 

1870 

Chancellorsville,  in  Onward,  New  York,  January, 
pages  35-46;  February,  pages  155-164;  February,  supple- 
ment, xxi-xxxii. 

Personal  and  Military  History  of  Philip  Kearny,  by 
John  Watts  de  Pe3^ster,  13-512  pages,  2  portraits,  octavo. 
Palmer  &  Company,  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey. 

Grant's  Campaign  from  the  South  *  *  *  against 
Vicksburg,  by  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  His- 
torical Magazine,  pages  26-31,  January. 

Lizzie,  A  Poem,  in  Onward,  page  165,  New  York, 
February. 

A  Dead  Hero,  in  Onward,  pages  172-173,  New  York, 
February. 

To  Lizzie,  by  Anemone,  in  the  New  York  Citizen,  5 
February. 

Colonel  George  E.  Farmer,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  21  February. 

Fechter's  Hamlet,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  21  February. 

From  Chancellorsville  to  Gettysburg,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  Citizen  and  Pound  Table,  Volume  VII,  12  and  19 
March,  New  York. 

Sheridan's  Ride.  A  Reply  to  an  Inquiry,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  Historical  Magazine,  pages  251-253,  April. 

Canst  Thou  Forget?  A  poem,  by  Speranza,  in  the 
New  York  Citizen,  23  April. 

New  York  to  Richmond  via  Annapolis,  in  the  Citizen 
and  Round  Table,  23  and  30  April. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  281 

Fechter  as  Claude  Melnotte,  by  De  P.,  in  the  New 
York  Citizen,  30  April. 

A  Brilliant  Military  Career,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  13  May. 

Malione,  the  Fighter,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  13  May. 

History  versus  Poetry.  "Sheridans  Eide,"  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  2-4  May. 

Fechter,  in  "The  Corsican  Brothers,"  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  24  May. 

Our  ]\Iilitia  Organization,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  31  May. 

A  Military  Memoir  of  William  ]\Iahone,  Major-General 
in  the  Confederate  Army,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Historical  Magazine,  pages  390-406,  June. 

Falconer  Benefit  at  Wallack's,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  ]\Iail,  11  June. 

Leclerq.  A  Eeview,  in  the  New  York  Citizen,  11 
June. 

History  repeating  itself,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  21  June. 

The  "Late  General  Hamblin,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  7  July. 

Horatio  G.  Wright,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  17  July. 

Leonard  Torstenson,  Swedish  Field  Marshal-General- 
issimo, by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Citizen,  9,  16  and  23  July. 

Our  Army  at  Yorktown,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Cosmo- 
politan, New  York,  23  July. 

The  Old  Third  Corps.  General  A.  A.  Humyhreys,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  4  August. 

Heintzelman,  by  x\nchor,  in  the  New  York  Citizen, 
6  August. 

The  Old  Third  Corps.  Major-General  Gershon  Mott, 
by  Anchor,  8  August. 

Sickles.  The  Third  Commander  of  the  Glorious  old 
Third  Corps,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen  and  Eound  Table, 
Volume  VII,  ISTew  York,  13  August. 


282  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Chancellorsville,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen  and  Round 
Table,  Yolume  VII,  I^ew  York,  20  and  27  August,  3,  17 
and  24  September,  1,  8,  and  15  October. 

Improvements  in  the  Art  of  War,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
'New  York  Evening  Mail,  30  August. 

Papal  Infallibility,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  5  October. 

What  does  it  mean?  By  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  13  October. 

What  Little  Holland  could  do,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  20  October. 

Battle  of  AVapping  Heights,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen 
and  Round  Table,  New  York,  29  October,  5  November. 

Corporal  Casey.  Prepared  by  Anchor,  in  the  jCitizen 
and  Round  Table,  Volume  VII,  New  York,  26  November, 
3  December. 

Bismark  on  the  situation,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  29  November. 

Movements  of  the  Fall  of  1863,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Citizen  and  Round  Table,  Volume  VII,  New  York,  3, 
10,  17,  24,  and  31  December. 

All  Quiet  along  the  Rapidan,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Citizen,  31  December. 

1871 

Major-General  x^ndrew  A.  Humphreys  at  the  head  of 
the  combined  Second-Third  Corps  *  *  *  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  16  pages,  octavo,  Tobitt  &  Bunce,  New  York. 

The  Wilderness.  Battles  in  1864,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Citizen  and  Round  Table,  7  January. 

A  Retrospect  and  a  Review.  The  Dismemberment  and 
Dissolution  of  the  Third  Corps,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
in  the  New  York  Era,  9  January. 

Grant's  Campaign  in  the  Wilderness,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  Citizen  and  Round  Table,  New  York,  14,  21  and  28 
January,  and  4  February. 

The  End  of  the  Empire,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  10  February. 

Grant's  Overland  Campaign,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen 
and  Round  Table,  New  York,  11,  18  and  25  February. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  283 

Great  Minds  in  Little  Bodies,  by  Anchor,  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  27  February. 

The  French  in  Switzerland,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  4  March. 

The  Investment  of  Petersburg,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Citizen  and  Eound  Table,  New  York,  4  March,  2 
September. 

The  Battle  of  Williamsburg,  May  5,  1862,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  Citizen  and  Eound  Table,  New  York,  11  March. 

An  American  in  the  German  Service,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  29  March. 

The  Income  Tax,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  1  April. 

From  Chancellorsville  to  Gettysburg,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Citizen  and  Eound  Table,  New  York,  22  April. 

A  Military  Memoir  of  William  Mahone,  Major-General 
in  the  Confederate  Army,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
the  Historical  Magazine,  pages  12-33,  July. 

La  Eoyale,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen  and  Eound 
Table,  New  York,  9  September  and  subsequent  issues. 

A  Military  Eecord,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  16  December, 

1872 

Leonard  Torstenson.  Eulogy.  A  Eoyal  Utterance 
Crowned.  A  Prize  Essay.  Presented  to  the  American 
Public  by  J.  AVatts  de  Peyster,  36  pages,  small,  octavo. 
Julius  E.  Huth,  New  York. 

La  Eoyale,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Citizen  and  Eound  Table, 
New  York,  9  September,  1871—23  March,  1872. 

"Humpty  Dumpty,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Citizen,  13  January. 

Bazaine's  Treachery,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  16  January. 

The  Naiad  Queen,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  28  February. 

Strategic  Mistakes  of  the  Prussians,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
United  States  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  23  March. 

Eeview  of  Eossel's  Art  of  War,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
i^rmy  and  Naval  Journal,  13  April. 


284  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Last  of  the  Napoleons,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Army  and 
Naval  Journal,  20  April. 

A  Magnificent  Eeview,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  21  May. 

General  Meade,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Daily 
Eegister,  25  November. 

The  Ring  Trials,  by  De  P.,  in  the  New  York  Daily 
Eegister,  26  November. 

La  Eoyale,  Parts  I-VI.  The  Grand  Hunt  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  on  the  3-7  (A.M.)  April,  Peters- 
burg to  High  Bridge,  70  pages,  1  portrait,  1  map,  small, 
quarto. 

La  Eoyale,  Part  VIII.  The  Last  Twenty-four  Hours 
of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  iv,  48  pages,  1  por- 
trait, 1  map,  small  quarto.     J.  E.  Huth,  New  York. 

1873 

Our  Cavalry  Soldiers,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  17  and  22  January. 

Immortality  of  the  Soul,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  28  January. 

Montreal,  the  Condottiere,  by  General  de  Peyster,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  18  February. 

Leonard  Torstenson,  by  General  de  Peyster,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  March. 

The  Thirty  Years'  War,  by  General  de  Peyster,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  4  March. 

Leonard  Torstenson,  by  General  de  Peyster,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  11  and  25  March,  1  April. 

Alvizzi  del  Pino,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  Weekly  Edition,  3  and  10  December. 

"Astray,"  by  Anchor  (Theatrical  Criticism),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  13  December. 

1874 

La  Eoyale,  Part  VII.  Cumberland  Church,  7th  April, 
1865,  xii,  150  pages,  1  portrait,  2  maps,  small,  quarto. 

George  H.  Thomas,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
545-576  pages,  1  portrait,  quarto.  Atlantic  Publishing 
Company,  New  York. 

General  Eobert  McAllister,  a  sketch,  by  General  John 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  285 

Watts   de   Peyster,    503-512   pages,    1   portrait,   quarto. 
Atlantic  Publishing  Company,  New  York. 

Lafayette  S.  Foster,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
541-543  pages,  quarto.     Atlantic  Publishing  Company. 

Michelet,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
19  February. 

Johnston's  Narrative  of  Confederate  Operations,  etc., 
by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  13  April. 

Our  City  Armories,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  June. 

Count  de  Paris'  History  of  our  War.  Eeview,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  12  September. 

The  Sphinx,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  29  September. 

Eeview  of  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United  States,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  15  December. 

1875 

The  Conflict  between  Eeligion  and  Science,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  4  January. 

Major-General  George  H.  Thomas,  an  address  before 
the  New  York  Historical  Society,  5  January,  1875,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  24  pages,  small  octavo.  Atlantic 
Publishing  Company,  New  York. 

A  Hero  of  the  War,  an  address,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  6  January. 

The  Mohammedans,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning ]\Iail,  15  January. 

The  War  Cloud,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  23  January. 

Montenegro,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  26  January. 

A  Lifting  of  the  War  Cloud,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  ]\Iail,  2  February. 

The  Conflict  of  Science  and  Eeligion,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  8  February. 

Monumental  Christianity,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  15  February. 

Our  Terrible  Winter,  by  Anchor,  in  tlie  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  3  March. 


286  JOHN"  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Some  Words  of  interest  about  Militia,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  4  March. 

Funeral  of  Miss  Ada  E.  Hancock,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  22  March. 

Funeral  of  Miss  Ada  E.  Hancock,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Post,  23  March. 

Michael  Angelo's  Statue  of  "The  Thinker,"  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  24  March. 

The  Callathumpians,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  8  April. 

"Coup-de-Jarnae,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  13  April. 

A  Famous  Militia  Eeview  in  New  York,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  19  April. 

The  Anniversary,  an  address  before  the  Third  Army 
Corps  Union,  5  May,  by  Major  General  John  Watts  de 
Peyster,  36  pages,  1  portrait,  quarto.  Atlantic  Publish- 
ing and  Engraving  Company,  New  York. 

Third  Army  Corps  Union  (Speech),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  6  May. 

A  Eemarkable  Execution,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  14  May. 

Germany  and  France,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail_,  20  May. 

Lee's  Status  as  a  General,  by  Anchor,  in  the  United 
States  Army  and  Navy  Journal,  29  May. 

Three  Eivers,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  3,  4,  and  7  June. 

Morningside  and  Eiverside  Parks,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  6  June. 

Ho !  for  the  Pole !  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  19  and  21  June. 

Sherman's  Memoirs,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  29  June. 

Actors,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
24  July. 

The  Old-New,  by  Anchor,  21  August. 

Sherman  and  Thomas,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  5  October. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  287 

The  Latin,  or  Eoman,  and  the  Teuton,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  j\Iail,  11  October. 

A  Glimpse  of  Denmark,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  22  October. 

English  Opera  at  Booth's  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  26  October. 

"Weather  Vagaries,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  6  November. 

Glimpses  of  Sweden,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  8  and  11  November. 

Ginbord,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
18  November. 

William  Fidden  Blodgett,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  19  November. 

Memoirs  of  Nettie  Skye,  by  E.,  in  the  New  York 
Weekly  Mail,  24  November. 

Winfield  Scott  Hancock,  by  Anchor,  I ;  II,  26  Novem- 
ber; III,  9  December,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

Duration  of  National  Life,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  18  December, 

A  few  Suggestions  for  a  Constant  Eeader,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  27  December. 

1876 

The  Battle  of  Nashville,  an  address  before  the  New 
York  Historical  Society,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  5  January. 

The  Battle  of  Nashville,  conclusion  of  address  before 
the  New  York  Historical  Society,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  10  January. 

The  Eagle  Theatre,  by  i\nchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  17  January. 

A  Field  Day  on  Fifth  Avenue,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  24  January. 

A  Lesson  for  the  Hour,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  31  January. 

Julius  Caesar,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  15  February. 

The  Statuary,  "■Under  the  Linden,"  Berlin,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  23  February. 


288  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

American  Soldiership,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Herald,  26  February. 

What  a  storm  brought  fifty  years  ago,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

The  Greatest  Hero  of  the  AVorld  [Hannibal],  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  6  March. 

A  Dramatic  Triumph,  by  Anchor,  21  March. 

A  Dramatic  Triumph,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  23  March, 

Perils  of  Fire,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  12  April. 

The  Keystone  State,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  20  April. 

The  Keystone  Capital,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  21  April. 

John  Frederic  Hartranft,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  26  April. 

John  Frederic  Hartranft,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Evening 
Telegraph,  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  1  May. 

The  Gilbert  Elevated  Eoad,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  10  May. 

Jolm  Frederic  Hartranft,  by  Major- General  de  Peyster 
(also  signed  Anchor),  in  the  Chronicle  and  News,  Allen- 
town,  Pennsylvania,  1,  2,  and  3  June. 

The  Susquehannah  Valley,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  correspondence  dated  22  May,  and 
G  June. 

John  Frederic  Hartranft,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Lehigh 
Register,  Allentown,  Pennsylvania,  7  June. 

Allentown,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
15  June. 

The  Lehigh  Valley,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  17  June. 

The  Inimitable  Vokes  at  the  Union  Square  Theatre, 
by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  26  June. 

The  Curse  of  Indian  Pings,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  7  July. 

Rosina  Vokes  at  the  Union  Square  Theatre,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  8  July. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  289 

Fire  Island,  by  Anchor,  Notes  from  the  Seaside,  24 

June;  Fire  Island,  27  June;  A  Life-giving  Isle,  12  July; 

A  Surf  Hotel,  10  July ;  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

Servia,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  22 

July. 

The  European  Grab  Game,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  27  July. 

Jottings  in  Europe,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
23  August. 

Sardanapalus,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  4  September. 

An  Assyrian  Study,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  5  September. 

Cazenovia,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Cazenovia  Republican,  7 
September. 

"Two  Men  of  Sandy  Bar,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  19  September. 

A  Welcome   Arrival,  by   Anchor,   in  the  New   York 
Evening  Mail,  25  September. 

Yet  Another  Version  of  Sardanapalus,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  6  October. 

A  French  View  of  Our  Eepublic,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  7  November."^ 

Night  made  Beautiful,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  8  November. 

Miss  Multon,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  24  November. 

Arctic  Exploration,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  26  December. 

1877 
Major  General  Philip  Schuyler  and  the  Burgo>Tie 
Campaign  of  1777.  Annual  Address  before  the  New 
York  Historical  Society,  2  January,  by  General  John 
Watts  de  Peyster,  26  pages  and  an  Appendix  of  4  pages, 
octavo.     Holt  Bros.,  New  York. 

Burgoyne's  Campaign.  A  Synopsis  of  an  Address 
before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  January  2. 
by  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  3  January. 

19 


290  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  United  States  and  Canada,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few 
York  Evening  Mail,  13  January. 

Eussia  and  Turkey,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York 
Evening  Mail,  23  January. 

Views  of  a  Distinguished  Officer,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Few  York  Times,  25  January. 

The  Turks,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  31  January. 

A  Set  of  Pigs,  by  Anchor,  in  tlie  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  9  February. 

Giorgione,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York  Evening  Mail, 
12  February. 

Les  Danicheffs,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  17  February. 

The  Russians,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  6  March. 

Mr.  Coghlan's  "Hamlet,"  in  the  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  12  March. 

Mr.  McCullough's  "Gladiator,"  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Few  York  Evening  Mail,  18  April. 

Turlcey  and  Montenegro,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York 
Evening  Mail,  24  April. 

McCullough  as  Virginius,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York 
Evening  Mail,  27  April. 

The  Third  Corps  Union.  A  Speech,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  Few  York  Evening  Mail,  7  May, 

Revolutionary  Events.  The  Route  of  Burgo}Tie's  Ex- 
pedition from  Canada  toward  Albany,  1777,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  Few  York  Times,  14  May. 

Fire  Island.  Correspondence,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few 
York  Times,  14  May. 

The  Jerseys,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York  Evening 
Mail,  22  May. 

"Amos  Clark,"  at  Booth's  Theatre,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Few  York  Evening  Mail,  23  May. 

Smike,  by  Anchor,  in  Few  York  Evening  Mail,  30  May. 

Valedictory.  Read  at  tlie  final  Spriug  Meeting  of  the 
Hamersley  Coterie,  8  June,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Few  York 
Evening  Mail. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  291 

Obituary,  Honorable  J.  TV.  Beekman,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  18  June. 

Seventeen-year  Locusts,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  7  July. 

The  Mountains  along  the  Hudson,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  14  August. 

Oriskany.  A  poem,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  20  August. 

Mr.  Boucicault  as  a  Logician,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  3  October. 

The  Revolutionary  Year,  1777.  Contents :  Burgoyne's 
Capitulation,  General  Burgoyne's  Campaign,  Burgoyne 
in  New  York,  Burgoyne  and  Schuyler,  The  Battle  of 
Oriskany,  The  Battle  of  Bennington,  The  Battle  of 
Brand}^vine,  Burgoyne's  Fatal  Mistake,  Clinton  on  the 
Hudson,  The  Victory  at  Saratoga,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
'New  York  Times,  14  May  and  7  OctoJjer. 

Holland  in  "The  Crushed  Tragedian,"  by  Anchor,  in 
tlie  New  York  Evening  Mail,  10  October. 

The  Williamsons  in  "Struck  Oil,"  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  10  October. 

"The  Mother's  Secret,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  3  December. 

Mary  Anderson,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  13  December. 

The  Revolutionary  Year,  1777,  by  Anchor.  Nineteen 
articles,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  12  April-13 
December. 

Salutatory.  Read  at  the  first  Fall  Meeting  of  the 
Hamersley  Coterie,  23  November,  by  De  Peyster,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  14  December. 

1878 

Oriskany,  6th  August,  1777.  The  Decisive  Collision 
of  the  American  Revolution,  by  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  8  pages,  small,  octavo.  A.  S.  Barnes  &  Com- 
pany, New  York. 

"Man  of  Success,"  by  de  Peyster,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  2  January. 


292  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Eichard  III  at  Booth's,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  19  January. 

Obituary.  General  Honorable  Sir  Edward  Gust,  Bart., 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  2  February. 

The  Gorilla,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  5  February. 

Who  can  be  elected  Pope,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  11  February. 

The  Barents  Eelics,  Ijy  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  12  February. 

Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  20  February. 

Pterodactylus  Cuvien.  "The  Flying  Dragon  of  Fact," 
by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  9  March. 

A  Celebrated  Case,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  14  March. 

Review  of  Mrs.  Lamb's  History  of  New  York,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  29  March. 

New  York  and  its  History,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
the  International  Review,  Volume  V,  Number  3,  pages 
255-264,  March  and  April. 

A  Dutch  Roland  for  an  English  Oliver,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  18  April. 

Revolutionary  Affairs  of  the  Spring  of  1778,  by  Anchor 
(J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  23  April. 

The  Bitter-Sweet  of  Life.  Lines  read  at  the  Weekly 
Meeting  at  J.  W.  Hamersley's,  255  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York,  March  29,  1878,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
24  April. 

Revolutionary  Affairs  of  the  Spring  of  1778.  II.,  by 
Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
7  May. 

Adieu  for  the  Season.  Read  at  the  Meeting  May  31, 
1878,  at  255  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  by  Anchor. 

The  Battle  of  Monmouth,  in  the  New  York  Herald, 
28  June. 

The  Engagements  at  Freehold,  known  as  the  Battle  of 
Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  *  *  *  28th  June,  1778,  by  John 
Watts  de  Peyster.     Reprint  from  the  Magazine  of  Ameri- 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  293 

can  History,  July,  7  pages,  small,  octavo.  A.  S.  Barnes 
&  Company,  jSTew  York. 

Lee  at  Monmouth,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  New  York 
World,  1  July. 

One  Hundred  Years  Ago,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.), 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  39  July. 

The  American  Eevolution  from  a  French  Point  of 
View,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  translator  of  Michelet,  in 
the  Messenger,  Glens  Falls,  New  York,  3  August. 

Newport,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  9  August. 

Consideration  of  the  Case  of  Major-General  Charles 
Lee  at  Monmouth,  June  28,  1778,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de 
P.),  in  the  Monmouth  Democrat,  Freehold,  New  Jersey, 
15  August. 

Newport,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  22  August. 

Yellow  Fever,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  27  August. 

Newport,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  29  August. 

Kentucky,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,   12   September. 

Theatrical  Notice,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  26  September. 

The  Hackensack  Eiver,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  2  October, 

"Henry  VIII,"  at  Booth's,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  9  October. 

Little  Egg  Harbor,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  14  October. 

"Mother  and  Son,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  23  October. 

Deeds  of  our  Past,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  8  November. 

Old  New  York,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  13  November. 

The  Affair  of  Freehold,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Monmouth 
Democrat,  Freehold,  17  October,  7  and  21  November. 


294  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  South,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  22  November. 

Gratulari  Adventum !  Welcome  Home !  by  Anchor. 
Delivered  6  December,  at  opening  of  "Noctes  Atticae." 
New  York  Evening  Mail. 

Savannah,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  11  December. 

Siege  of  Phillipsbourg,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  19  December. 

A  Hundred  Years  Ago  To-day.  The  Battle  of  Savan- 
nah, by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Times, 
29  December. 

Merv  or  Meru,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  30  December. 

1879 

Poem  on  the  Battle  of  Oriskany,  by  General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster.     Weed,  Parsons  &  Company,  Albany. 

Ode  on  Schuylerville,  by  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 
Weed,  Parsons  &  Company,  Albany. 

Fixedness  of  Purpose,  by  John  Watts  de  Peyster.  A. 
L.  Bancroft  &  Company,  San  Francisco,  California. 

Merv  or  Meru,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  24  January. 

Dr.  Clyde  at  the  Fifth  Avenue,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  27  January. 

Obituary.  j\Irs.  Helen  Sarah  Hooker,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  ]\Iail,  3  February. 

H.  M.  S.  Pinafore  at  the  Lyceum,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  13  February. 

"Pinafore,"  at  the  Fifth  Avenue,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  14  February. 

New  York  State's  Indians,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.), 
in  the  New  York  Times,  23  February. 

An  Anniversary,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  25  February. 

Mr.  Paulding  as  Hamlet,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  26  February. 

Theatrical  Notice,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  3  March. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  395 

The  jSTew  Eebellion,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  8  March. 

"Thro'  the  Dark/'  by  iinchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  17  March. 

''Lost  Children"  at  the  Union  Square,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  23  April. 

"Fatinitza,"  at  the  Fifth  Avenue,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  7  May. 

Eear  Admiral  Godon,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Mail,  28  May. 

Will,  by  Anchor,  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  28  May. 

Valedictory.  Before  closing  of  Hamersley's  "Noctes 
Atticae,"  June  6,  1879,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  7  June. 

The  Battle  of  Janikan  or  Jankswitz,  24th  February, 
0.  S.,  6th  March,  N.  S.,  1645,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
United  Service  Journal,  Volume  I,  Number  3,  pages 
383-401,  July. 

Sir  John  Johnson's  Life,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in 
the  New  York  Times,  13  July. 

Stony  Point,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  15  July. 

Wayne's  Capture  of  Stony  Point,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de 
P.),  in  the  Monmouth  Inquirer,  Freehold,  New  Jersey, 
34  Julv. 

Fire  Island,  by  Anchor,  8  August. 

Castine,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  11  and  13  August. 

Jersey  City,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  18  August. 

Wyoming,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
26  August. 

Elmira,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Mail,  29  August. 

John  William  Hamersley.  Tribute,  by  Major-General 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Magazine  of  American 
History,  September. 

Genesee,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  15  September. 


296  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Judaism  at  Eome,  B.  C.  76  to  A.  D.  140,  by  Anchor. 
18  September. 

Savannah,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  Ne,w  York 
Evening  Mail,  21  September. 

Washington  Irving  on  Stony  Point,  l^y  Anchor,  in  the 
Monmouth  Inquirer,  Freehold,  New  Jersey,  25 
September. 

"Our  Daughters,"  at  Haverly's,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New- 
York  Evening  Mail,  25  September. 

Savannah,  II,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  3  October. 

Savannah,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  9  October. 

A  Eeview  of  "Les  Locataire,"  at  the  Union  Square 
Theatre,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
25  October, 

Christianity  and  Philosophy,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  27  October. 

Salutatory.  Eead  at  the  First  Fall  Meeting  at  Hamers- 
ley's,  by  Anchor,  November,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail. 

"Fighting  Joe,"  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  3  November. 

General  Joe  Hooker,  by  Anclior,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  4  November. 

The  Harvest  Moon,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Mail,  4  November. 

A  House  with  a  History,  by  Tiger  Lily,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  13  November. 

Abd-el-Kader,  "The  Modern  Jugurtha,"  by  Anchor 
(J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  15 
November. 

The  Galley  Slave,  at  Haverly's,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  3  and  18  December. 

Ancient  and  Mediaeval  Republics,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  27  December. 

1880 
Sketches  of  Officers  of  the  Third  Army  Corps,  by  John 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  297 

Watts  de  Peyster,  8  pages,  duodecimo.     C.  G.  Burgoyne, 
New  York. 

General  H.  Edwin  Tremain.  Eeprint  from  Sketches 
of  Oificers  of  tlie  Tliird  Army  Corps,  by  Anchor  (J.  W. 
de  P.),  8  pages,  duodecimo.     C.  G.  Burgoyne,  New  York. 

Proofs  considered  in  Vindication  of  Sir  John  Johnson. 
Speech  before  the  Historical  Society,  by  General  de 
Peyster,  January. 

Sir  John  Johnson,  the  first  American-born  Baronet. 
An  address  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  by 
Major- General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  13  pages,  octavo, 
0  January. 

A  Defence  of  a  New  York  Baronet.  The  Historical 
Society,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  7  January. 

The  Tourists  in  a  Pullman  Palace  Car,  at  Haverly's, 
by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  10  January. 

The  Pullman  Palace  Car  Tourists,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail  (Weekly  Edition),  1-1  January. 

"The  False  Friend,"  at  the  Union  Square  Theatre,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  24  and  29 
January. 

Joshua's  Relief  of  Gideon  and  the  Battle  of  Beth-Horon 
by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  The  United  Service,  pages 
211-219,  February. 

Salsbury's  Troubadours,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  24  February. 

The  Fabian  System  *  *  *  An  Idea  from  a  Veteran 
General  Officer  of  the  United  States  Army,  in  the  New 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  26  Fe])ruary. 

Post-prandial  remarks  of  General  de  Peyster,  on  his 
Fifteenth  Commemorative  Dinner,  9  March,  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

Washington,  by  a  Veteran  General  Officer  of  the 
United  States  Army,  in  the  New  York  Evening  ]\Iail, 
9  March. 

Pensez-a-moi.  A  poem,.^y  Viola  Tricolor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mai],  19  March. 

Penser-a-toi.  In  answer  to  Viola  Tricolor,  by  Yoland, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 


298  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

"Widow  Bedott,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  33  March,  14  April. 

"A  Child  of  the  State,"  at  Wallack's  by  Anchor  (J.  W. 
de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  26  April. 

"Boccaccio,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  24  May. 

Herrman  at  Haverly's,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  26  May. 

Valedictory,  First  Spring  Meeting  at  Hamersley's,  by 
Anchor,  4  June,  in  tlie  New  York  Evening  ]\Iail. 

Hannibal,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
pages  55-76,  July. 

Gustavus  Adolphus,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United 
Service,  pages  257-277,  September. 

The  Affair  at  King's  Mountain,  7th  Octol)er,  1780,  by 
Jolm  Watts  de  Peyster.  Eeprint  from  the  Magazine  of 
American  History,  December. 

Cavalry,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
June,  November  and  December. 

The  Affair  at  King's  Mountain,  7th  October,  1780,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Magazine  of  American  His- 
tory, pages  402-424.     December. 

Salutatory.  Eead  at  the  Opening,  December  17,  1880, 
of  Winter  Session  of  "Noctes  Attica  e,"  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  20  December. 

Centennial  Sketches  for  1880,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de 
P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  2  January-28 
December. 

King's  Mountain,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Herald, 
30  December. 

1881 

Local  jMemorials  relating  to  the  De  Peyster  and  Watts 
and  Affiliated  Families  Connected  with  Eed  Hook,  New 
York,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  80  pages,  octavo.  C. 
H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Obituaries  of  Major-General  Samuel  P.  Heintzelman 
and  Major-General  Joseph  Hooker  *  *  *  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster  *  *  *  (Anchor),  40  pages,  duodecimo.  C.  H. 
Ludwig,  New  York. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  299 

The  Johnson  Family,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail, 
24  January. 

Army  Catastrophes,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United 
Service,  pages  233-245.     February. 

Hannibal's  Army  of  Italy,  B.  C,  218,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  United  Service,  pages  289-309,  March. 

Carnival  at  Eonie,  by  A.,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail  (Weekly  Edition),  24  March. 

Valedictory.  Eead  at  the  Last  Spring  Meeting  at 
Hamersley's,  April  22,  1881,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  25  April. 

The  Last  Campaign  of  Hannibal,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  United  Service,  pages  534-554,  May. 

Infantry,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
June,  pages  647-665,  August,  pages  219-246. 

The  Battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  September  8,  1781,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service,  pages  310-341, 
September. 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail,  29   September. 

Dutchess  to  Saratoga,  II,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.), 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  12  October. 

Centennial  Sketches  for  1881,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  Weekly  Edition,  7  July-3  November. 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail  and  Express,  8,  15,  29  December. 

1882 

A  Vindication  of  James  Hepburn,  Fourth  Earl  of 
Bothwell,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  (Anchor),  60  pages, 
1  portrait,  octavo.  L.  K.  Hamersly  &  Company,  Phila- 
delphia. 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  A  Study,  by  Anchor,  144  pages, 
octavo.     Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Sir  John  Johnson.  Orderly  Book  of  Sir  John  Johnson 
during  the  Oriskany  Campaign,  1776-1777.  Annotated 
by  William  L.  Stone  *  *  *  With  an  Introduction  by  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  Anchor  *  *  *  and  some  Tracings 
from    the    Footprints    of    the    Tories    or    Loyalists    in 


300  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

America,  by  Theoforus  B.  Meyers,  273  pages.     J.  Mun- 
sell's  Sons,  Albany,  New  York. 

Threnody  James  Eobb,  read  at  the  Inauguration  at 
Hamersley's,  6  January,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

Salutatory.  At  Inauguration  of  "Noctes  Atticae,"  by 
Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail 
and  Express,  12  January. 

Infantry,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
April,  pages  439-449,  May,  pages  533-552. 

The  Campaign  of  Waterloo,  Tuesday,  13th  June — Sun- 
day, 18th  June,  1815,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United 
Service,  pages  34-39,  July. 

James  Hepburn,  Earl  of  Bothwell,  Third  Husband  of 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United 
Service,  September,  pages  311-336,  October,  pages 
404-437. 

1883 

Suwarrow,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Eeprint  from  The 
United  Service,  61  pages,  octavo.  L.  E.  Hamersley  & 
Company,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

An  Inquiry  into  the  Career  and  Character  of  Mary 
Stuart  *  *  *  and  a  Justification  of  Bothwell,  by  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  260  pages,  octavo.  Charles  H.  Lud- 
wig,  New  York. 

An  Address  delivered  before  the  Historical  Society  of 
New  BrunsAvick,  in  St.  John,  Canada,  4th  July,  1883, 
by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  40  pages,  octavo. 
Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

The  Burgoyne  Campaign,  July-October,  1777,  by  J. 
AVatts  de  Peyster.  Eeprint  from  the  United  Service, 
October,  1883,  17  pages,  octavo.  L.  E.  Hamersley  & 
Company,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

From  the  Eapidan  to  the  Appomattox  Court  House, 
by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Eeprint  from  The  United 
Service,  July,  6  pages,  octavo.  E.  L.  Hamersley  &  Com- 
pany, Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

From  the  Eapidan  to  the  Appomattox  Court  House,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service,  pages  91-96,  July. 

Who  Burgoyned  Burgoyne,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P."), 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  301 

Reprint   from    Daily  Journal,    Saratoga    Springs,    New 
York,  30  August,  2-7  pages,  octavo. 

1884 

The  Thirty  Years'  War,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Ee- 
print  from  United  Service,  93  pages,  octavo,  L.  K. 
Hamersley,  Philadelphia,  Pennsjdvania. 

Bothwell:  An  Historical  Drama,  by  John  Watts  de 
Peyster,  96  pages,  octavo.  Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
in  United  Service,  March,  pages  254-293. 

A  Scientific  Soldier,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail  and  Express,  13  March. 

The  Third  Army  Corps  Union.  An  Address  delivered 
at  a  Meeting  in  New  York  City,  May  5,  1884,  by  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  8  pages,  octavo. 

The  Condottieri  of  the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth 
Centuries,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
October,  pages  406-439. 

The  Thirty  Years'  War.  With  Special  Reference  to 
the  Military  Operations  of  the  Swedes,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  United  Service,  November,  pages  457-494, 
December,  pages  629-681. 

1885 

Gypsies.  Information  translated  and  gathered  from 
various  sources,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  32  pages,  octavo. 
Charles  H.  Ludwig  &  Company,  New  York. 

Sailors'  Creek  to  Appomattox  Court  House,  7th,  8th, 
9th  April,  1865;  or  The  Last  Hours  of  Sheridan's 
Cavalry.  War  Memoranda  of  Henry  E.  Tremain. 
Edited,  with  notes,  etc.,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  75  pages, 
1  portrait,  1  map,  octavo.  Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

Literature  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,.  Reprint  from  Army  and  Navy  Quarterly, 
October,  422-459  pages,  octavo.  L.  R.  Hamersley  & 
Company,  Philadelphia. 

Army  Administrative  Service,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 


302  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Eeprint  from  United   Service,  January,   91-109   pages, 
octavo! 

Thirty  Years'  War,  vs^ith  Special  Eeference  to  the 
Military  Operations  of  the  Swedes,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  United  Service,  February,  pages  308-235, 
May,  pages  567-583. 

Bear-Admiral  George  Henry  Preble,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  United  Service,  April,  455-463  pages,  octavo. 

Major-General  Gershan  Mott,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Mail  and  Express,  31  May. 

Torstenson  before  Vienna.  A  Translation  with  notes, 
by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  68  pages,  octavo.  Charles  H. 
Ludwig,  New  York,   June. 

History  of  the  Life  of  Leonard  Torstenson,  by  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  384  pages,  octavo.  Piatt  &  Schram,  Pough- 
keepsie,  New  York,  25  July. 

Major-General  Gershan  Mott,  U.  S.  V.,  and  the  Third 
Army  Corps  of  the  Potomac,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
United  Service,  pages  152-167,  August. 

Suwarrow,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United  Service, 
November,  pages  510-535,  December,  pages  589-631. 

1886 

Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys  of  Pennsylvania, 
Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  A.,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Intelligencer,  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania, 31  pages,  octavo. 

Obituary  Notice.  Major-General  Winfield  Scott  Han- 
cock, U.  S.  A.,  from  United  Service,  February,  by  J. 
AVatts  de  Peyster,  octavo. 

Anthony  Wayne  (Prominent  Men  of  the  Eevolutionary 
Period),  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  from  Magazine  of 
American  History,  February,  137-143,  octavo. 

Anthony  Wayne,  Tliird  General-in-Chief  of  the  United 
States  Army.  Eeprint  from  United  Service,  March,  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  34  pages,  octavo. 

Tlie  Third  Corps  and  Sickles  at  Gettysburg.  Address 
before  the  Third  Army  Corps  Union,  at  New  York,  5 
May,  30  pages,  octavo. 

In  Memory  of  Gambler  (Gam).     Died  Thursday,  33d 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  303 

September,  1886,  at  Eose   Hill,   New  York  *  *  *  and 
lies  there  buried  royally  for  a  dog,  by  Anchor,  octavo. 

Nothing  Succeeds  like  Success,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
AVeekly  Journal,  23  September. 

Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys  (Prominent  Men  of  the 
Civil  War  Period),  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Maga- 
zine of  American  History,  pages  347-369,  October. 

Major-General  Anthony  Wayne,  by  Brevet  Major- 
General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Eeprint  from  College 
Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  October,  8  pages, 
octavo.     Steinman  &  Hensel,  Lancaster. 

Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
in  the  College  Student,  pages  21-28,  Lancaster,  Pennsyl- 
vania, November. 

1887 

Before,  At,  and  After  Gettysburg,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  56  pages,  octavo.  Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

Gypsies :  Some  Curious  Investigations  collected,  trans- 
lated, or  reprinted,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Reprinted 
by  special  permission,  61  pages,  duodecimo.  E.  &  G. 
Goldsmith,  Edinburgh. 

Prussia :  Its  Position  and  Destiny.  By  N.  H.  Loring, 
with  Introduction,  etc.,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  32  pages,  octavo.  A.  E.  Chasmar  &  Company, 
'New  York. 

Michael  Angelo's  Statue  of  "The  Thinker"  (II 
Penseroso),  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.).  Reprint  from  the 
College  Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  Februarj^,  81- 
86  pages,  octavo. 

Buddha,  or  Gotama,  or  Sankia  Mouni,  by  Anchor  (J. 
AV.  de  P.),  reprint  from  the  College  Student,  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania,  March,  104-107  pages,  octavo. 

Michael  Angelo  and  the  Tombs  of  the  Medici,  by 
Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.).  Reprint  from  the  College 
Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  April,  121-124  pages, 
octavo. 

The  Last  Ten  Days'  Service  of  the  Old  Third  Corps 
■A:  *  *  ^^y[^]^  i]^Q  Army  of  the  Potomac.     Address  deliv- 


304  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

ered  at  the  Anniversary  Dinner  in  New  York,  5  May,  by 
J.  AVatts  de  Peyster,  16  pages,  octavo. 

The  Third  Corps.  Its  Last  Ten  Days  of  Service,  by 
Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  National 
Tribune,  Washington,  D.  C,  28  July,  11  August. 

An  Address  delivered  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
eighth  Eegiment,  New  York  Volunteers,  at  Hudson, 
Columbia  County,  New  York,  6th  September,  1887,  on 
the  Twenty-fifth  Anniversary  of  the  Departure  of  that 
Eegiment  for  the  War,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  4  pages,  octavo. 

Address  to  the  Veterans  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-eighth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantrj^,  by  General 
de  Peyster.  Eead  by  Colonel  Johnston  L.  de  Peyster, 
in  the  Columbia  Eepublican,  Hudson,  New  York,  8 
September. 

No  Eoyal  Eoad  to  Learning,  by  J.  W.  de  P.  A  letter 
to  the  New  York  World,  2  October. 

Was  the  Shakespeare,  after  all,  a  Myth?  By  J.  W.  de 
P.,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook,  New  York,  14 
October. 

1888 

Was  the  Shakespeare  after  all  a  Myth?  By  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  32  pages,  octavo,  A.  E.  Chasmar  &  Company, 
New  York. 

Miscellanies  by  an  Officer,  Arent  Schuyler  de  Peyster, 
1813,  C.  Munro,  Dumfries,  edited  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
80  pages,  octavo.  A.  E.  Chasmar  &  Company,  New 
York. 

Appendix  to  "Miscellanies  by  an  Officer,  *  *  *  ^"  ^^y 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  6  pages,  octavo.  C.  H.  Ludwig, 
New  York. 

Eeligious  Aspects  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War.  Eeprint 
from  College  Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  February, 
March,  26  pages,  octavo. 

Eeligious  Aspects  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  1618- 
1648,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  College  Student,  Lan- 
caster, Pennsylvania,  February,  pages  81-89,  March, 
pages  109-116,  April,  pages  136-145. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  805 

An  Ideal  Soldier,  by  Major-General  J.  Watts  de 
Pejster,  in  the  National  Tribune,  Washington,  D.  C, 
19  July. 

The  Peace  of  Westphalia.  Supplement  to  article 
"Religious  Aspects  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,"  by  Anchor 
(J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  College  Student,  Lancaster, 
Pennsylvania.,  JSTovember,  pages  23-26. 

1889 

Wallenstein,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  College 
Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  February,  pages  83-88. 

De  Peyster  Portrait  of  Washington,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  Magazine  of  American  History,  April,  page 
296. 

John  W.  Hamersley,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster,  in  Magazine 
of  American  History,  September,  pages  224-228. 

Miracles  of  the  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea  and  of  the 
Sun  and  Moon  standing  still,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.), 
in  the  Episcopal  Recorder,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
17  October. 

"Hail  Storms,"  by  Anchor,  in  tlie  Red  Hook  Journal, 
Red  Hook,  New  York,  15  November. 

1890 

Mary  Stuart,  Botliwell,  and  the  Casket  Letters.  Some- 
thing New.  With  illustrations.  *  *  *  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  40  pages,  octavo.  Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

A  Notable  Hail-storm,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in 
the  Episcopal  Recorder,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  22 
May. 

The  Sun  standing  still  at  the  bidding  of  Joshua,  by 
x\nchor  (J.  W.  de  P.)  in  the  Episcopal  Recorder,  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  19  June. 

Antiquity  of  the  Art  of  Writing,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de 
P.),  in  the  Red  Hook  Journal,  Red  Hook,  New  York, 
25  July. 

What  is  tlie  truth?  By  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the 
Episcopal  Recorder,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  7 
August. 


306  JOH:Nr  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

1891 

Eidiciilous  Falsity  of  Eoman  Catholic  Tradition,  by 
Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  in  the  Episcopal  Eecorder,  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  19  February. 

Sabellianism,  by  Anchor  (J,  W.  de  P.),  in  the  Episco- 
pal Recorder,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  21  May. 

A  Drive  of  Seventy-one  Miles  Throusrh  Central  Duchess 
Countv,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook, 
New  York,  13  July. 

Another  Drive  of  over  One  Hundred  Miles  through 
IsTorthea stern  and  Eastern  and  Central  Duchess  County,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook,  New  York, 
17  July. 

A  Third  Trip  of  about  Eighty  Miles  through  Duchess 
County,  by  New  and  Different  Eoutes,  by  Anchor,  in 
Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook,  New  York,  28  August. 

Hail,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Episcopal  Eiecorder,  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania,  17  December. 

1892 

The  Genuine  T^etters  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  to  James, 
Earl  of  Bothwell.  translated  from  the  French  by  Edward 
Simonds,  second  edition,  Westminster:  A  Campbell, 
1726,  edited  and  arranged  with  Introduction  by  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  24  pages,  octavo. 

Eulogy  of  Torstenson,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  with 
Appendix  and  Notes,  13  pasres,  1  map,  small  octavo. 

1893 

Waterloo :  The  Campaign  and  Battle,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Pevster. 

Bluehcr-Wellington-Napoleon,  Waterloo:  More  Prop- 
erly Belle  Alliance,  by  Anchor  (J.  Watts  de  Peyster), 
32  pasres.  3  maps,  octavo.  C.  H.  Ludwig  &  Company, 
New  York. 

Columbian  Naval  and  Military  Marine  Eeview.  by 
Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook,  New  York, 
12  Mav. 

Jottings  during  a  Drive  of  over  One  Hundred  and  Ten 
Miles,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook  Journal,  Eed  Hook, 
New  York,  21  July. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  307 

Two  Combination  Drives  of  Discovery,  in  the  aggre- 
gate about  Ninety  Miles,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Eed  Hook 
Journal,  Red  Hook,  New  York,  25  August. 

Sheep,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Red  Hook  Journal,  Red 
Hook,  New  York,  20  October. 

Growth  of  Hair  after  Death,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Red 
Hook  Journal,  Red  Hook,  New  York,  20  October. 

The  Title  and  Office  of  Schepen,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  the  National  Magazine,  New  York,  Volume 
XIX,  Number  1,  November,  pages  49-52.     . 

Arent  Schuyler  de  Peyster,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in 
Goldthwaite's  Geographical  Magazine.  Volume  V,  Num- 
bers, 10,  12,  October-December,  pages  302-303. 

Excerpts,  proofs,  testimony,  in  connection  with  Napo- 
leone  de  Buonaparte,  by  J.  Watts  de  Pe3'^ster. 

1894 

Authorities  *  *  *  cited  or  referred  to  in  three  pamph- 
lets entitled,  "Waterloo,  the  Campaign  and  Battle," 
"Blucher- Wellington-Napoleon,  Waterloo:  More  properly 
Belle  Alliance,"  "The  Prussians  in  the  Campaign  of 
AVaterloo,"  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
with  a  biographical  sketch  of  the  author  by  William  L. 
Stone,  32  pages,  16  pages,  quarto.  C.  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

The  Prussians  in  the  Campaign  of  Waterloo,  by  Brevet 
jMajor-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  College 
Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  1  April,  pages  145- 
149,  15  April,  pages  157-164,  1  May,  pages  177-183. 

The  More  than  Wonderful  Ruins  of  Aug-Kor  in  Cam- 
bodia, by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  Goldthwaite's  Geograph- 
ical Magazine,  Volume  VI,  Numbers  4,  5,  April,  May, 
pages  102-105. 

A  Few  Words  at  the  Unveiling  of  the  Monument  to 
Major-General  Robert  IVIcAllister  at  Belvidere,  New 
Jersey,  May  30,  1894,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster. 

Our  Saviour  Spoke  Greek,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  New 
York  Herald,  12  August. 

20 


308  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  Inflation  of  Hypercriticism  perforated  by  the 
points  of  a  few  absolute  facts,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.), 
in  the  Episcopal  Recorder,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
G  September. 

The  People  of  Palestine  Bi-lingual  over  a  Century 
B.C.,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P),  in  the  Episcopal  Recorder, 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  13  September. 

Great  Generals  of  All  Times,  by  Major-General  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  Golden  Magazine,  Volume  I,  Number 
1,  pages  1-11,  1  portrait. 

A  Drive  of  Thirty  to  Forty  Miles,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Red  Hook  Journal,  Red  Hook,  New  York,  14  September. 

General  de  Peyster  answers  Infidels,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  the  New  York  Press,  23  September. 

1895 

The  Real  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
College  Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsvlvania,  1  March,  pages 
99-105;  1  April,  pages  127-132;  1  May,  pages  139-144; 
1  June,  pages  159-170;  1  July. 

Marshal  Blucher  as  portrayed  in  his  Correspondence. 
Translated  from  the  Second  Edition  of  the  Commandant 
Vermeil  de  Conchard,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  122  pages, 
1  portrait,  1  map,  octavo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Napoleon  in  Russia  in  1812,  from  the  Memoirs  of 
Colonel  Pion  des  Loches,  with  a  Biographical  Sketch  of 
the  Author.  Translated  from  the  original  French  by 
Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Golden 
Magazine,  Volume  I,  Number  5,  pages  323-330,  January; 
Number  6,  pages  373-385,  February;  Volume  II,  Number 
1,  pages  3-15,  March;  Number  2,  pages  61,  73,  April, 
Number  3,  pages  117-136,  May. 

1896 

Napoleone  di  Buonaparte,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  re- 
print from  College  Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  48 
pages,  quarto. 

Napoleone  di  Buonaparte,  by  General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in   College   Student,   Lancaster,   Pennsylvania, 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  309 

Janiiary,  pages  61-68;  February,  pages  81-88;  March, 
pages  101-109;  May,  pages  111-153;  June,  pages  161- 
173;  December,  pages  41-45. 

Marshal  Blucher,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 

1897 

Napoleone  di  Buonaparte,  by  General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  College  Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania, 
January,  pages  61-65;  February,  pages  81-87;  March, 
pages  101-106;  April,  pages  121-125;  May,  pages  141- 
147;  June,  pages  161-174. 

Napoleone  di  Buonaparte.  Eeprint  from  College 
Student,  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  45  pages,  octavo. 

Jerusalem  the  Golden.  A  Poem,  by  J.  Watts  de  Pey- 
ster, quarto,  music  by  Alfred  L.  Moore.     Tivoli. 

1898 

Variations  in  the  Opinions  of  the  Fathers  (so  styled) 
of  the  Church,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  1-39,  duodecimo. 
C.  G.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Sabellianism.  Arranged  and  edited  by  Anchor  (J.  W. 
de  P.),  40-56  pages,  duodecimo.  C.  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

The  Transfer  of  Sovereignty,  by  Anchor  (J.  Watts  de 
Pevster),  5  pages,  duodecimo.  C.  H.  Ludwig,  New 
York. 

Watts  (Watt)  in  New  York  and  in  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land. Also  Watts  *  *  *  in  England.  All  prepared  by 
Albert  Welles  and  compared  with  the  Original  Manu- 
script left  incomplete.  By  Jolin  Watts  de  Peyster,  32, 
16  pages,  duodecimo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

The  Rock.  Friday,  16th  April,  1886  (London,  Eng- 
land. The  Church  of  Eome,  by  Lord  Eobert  Montague 
and  Cardinal  Manning.  Ee-edited  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de 
P.),  13  pages,  duodecimo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

The  Bible  in  Prison  ("La  Bibbia  in  Prigione"),  trans- 
lated by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  14-19  pages,  duodecimo. 
C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

The  Great  Euby,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  7-8  pages,  duodecimo. 
C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 


310  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  Eesurrection,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.),  20-33 
pages,  duodecimo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Myn  Vaderland,  by  General  J  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Year  Book  of  the  Holland  Society  of  New  York,  pages 
84-85. 

Retrospect  and  Prospect,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Times, 
Tivoli,  New  York,  20  August. 

Don't  get  Cheated  at  Paris,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Times, 
Tivoli,  New  York,  20  August. 

The  Santiago  Campaign,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Times, 
Tivoli,  New  York,  17  September. 

Army  Misdemeanors  and  Mismanagement,  by  Anchor, 
in  the  Times,  Tivoli,  New  York,  24  September. 

Opinions  of  a  Foreign  Naval  Expert  on  our  recent 
Naval  Triumphs,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Times,  Tivoli,  New 
York,  22  October. 

A  Cuban  Letter,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Times,  Tivoli,  New 
York,  22  October. 

1899 

Was  the  Shakespeare  a  Myth?  By  J.  W.  de  P. 
(Anchor),  octavo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Holland,  Our  Vaderland,  by  General  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster,  in  the  Year  Book  of  the  Holland  Society  of  New 
York,  pages  125-138,  quarto. 

Ho!  for  the  North  Pole!  By  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
2  pages,  octavo.     C.  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

A  Few  Concluding  Remarks  on  Waterloo  and  Napo- 
leone  di  Buonaparte,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster,  8  pages,  octavo. 

1900 

How  the  Dutch  Preserved  the  Freedom,  in  Body  and 
Mind,  of  Middle  Europe  in  1639,  by  Brevet  Major- 
General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the  Year  Book  of  the 
Holland  Society  of  New  York,  pages  91-103,  quarto. 

The  Earth  Stands  Fast.  A  Lecture  delivered  by  Pro- 
fessor C.  Schoepffer.  Seventh  Edition,  published  in 
Berlin  in  1868.  Translated  for  and  edited  by  J.  AVatts 
de  Peyster,  with  Notes  and  a  Supplement  l>y  Frank  Alia- 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  311 

ben,  80  pages,  1  portrait,  1  diagram,  octavo.  C.  H. 
Ludwig,  New  York. 

Algol:  The  "Ghoul"  or  "Demon"  Star.  A  Supple- 
ment to  "The  Earth  Stands  Fast,"  by  John  Watts  de 
Peyster  and  Frank  Allaben,  85  pages,  2  plans,  octavo. 
Charles  H.  Ludwig,  New  York. 

Are  the  Phenomena  of  Metereology  consistent  with  the 
Tychonic  Theory?  By  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  and  Frank 
Allaben.  Eeprint  from  the  Times,  Tivoli,  New  York, 
of  24  August,  8  pages,  octavo. 

Do  Ocean  Currents  Demonstrate  a  Diurnal  Eotation 
of  the  Earth?  By  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  and  Frank  Alla- 
ben. Eeprint  from  the  Times,  Tivoli,  New  York,  7 
September.     9  pages,  octavo. 

1901 

The  Wolverine  (Careajon  or  Glutton),  by  J.  Watts  do 
Peyster,  30  pages,  illustrated  supplement,  octavo.  F.  0. 
Green,  Tivoli. 

1903 
A   Giant   Sassafras,   by   De  P.,  in   Country  Life   in 
America,  page  217,  April. 

1904 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  United 
Service,  pages  63-85,  January. 

DATE  OP   PUBLICATION   UNCERTAIN 

Philip  Kearny,  Major-General  U.  S.  V.,  by  his  cousin 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  61-81  pages,  royal  octavo.  It 
appears  in  General  de  Peyster's  reprint  of  Kearny's 
"Service  with  French  Troops  in  Africa,  By  an  Officer  in 
the  United  States  Army,  New  York,  1844." 

On  the  Emancipation  of  the  Slaves. 

The  True  Location  of  Calvary,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
Episcopal  Eecorder. 

John  Frederic  Hartranft,  by  Anchor,  a  newspaper 
article. 

Francesca  da  Eimini,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  4  pages,  octavo. 

Massacre  of  Saint  Bartholomew,  24th  August-5th 
September,  1572,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  8  pages,  octavo. 


312  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

The  Yorktown  Campaign  of  September-October,  1781, 
by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  Brevet  Major-General,  in  the 
United  Service,  Vohime  V,  Kumber  5,  pages  519-551. 

Mary,  Queen  of  Scots.  A  Study,  by  Anchor.  8  por- 
traits, 1  map,  3  plans,  4  facsimiles,  small,  quarto. 
Munsell's  Historical  Series,  Number  11. 

The  Battle  of  King's  Mountain,  October  7,  1780. 
Address  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  Janu- 
ary 4,  1881,  by  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  8 
pages,  octavo. 

Fire  Island,  by  Anchor,  23  July  (year  unknown). 

Some  More  Facts  in  connection  with  Burgoyne's  Cam- 
paign, in  the  New  York  Times. 

The  Murder  of  Miss  McCrae,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail,  Eevolutionary  Year,  1777,  Volume 
I,  page  10. 

Cazenovia.  Early  History  of  Madison  County,  pre- 
pared from  Mrs.  Hammand's  "History  of  Madison 
County,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

Nashville,  the  Decisive  Battle  of  the  Rebellion.  An 
Address  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  4 
January,  1876,  14  pages,  small,  quarto. 

Frederic  the  Great,  by  General  de  Peyster,  presumably 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail,  of  1873. 

Leonard  Torstenson,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Citizen. 

The  Wurtembergers  in  the  Black  Forest  in  August, 
1870.  Translation  presented  as  a  sequel  or  justification 
of  the  views  *  *  *  in  regard  to  "Lee  on  the  Susque- 
hannah,"  June,  1863,  which  was  Part  I  of  "Before,  At 
and  After  Gettysburg"  *  *  *  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster 
(Anchor),  32  pages,  octavo,  with  an  Appendix. 

Evolutions  of  the  Line  by  Battalions,  by  Anchor. 

To  Holland  and  the  Dutch  Nation.  A  poem,  by  J. 
Watts  de  Peyster,  octavo. 

An  Address  to  the  Officers  of  the  New  York  State 
Troops,  January  19,  1858,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  40 
pages,  octavo. 

John  Edward  Purser's  Fire  Escape.  An  Extract  from 
the  Report  of  Brigadier-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  to 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  313 

His  Excellency  Horatio  Seymour,  Governor  of  New  York, 
1  June,  1853,  and  27  April,  1854,  11  pages,  octavo. 

Wapping  Heights,  by  Anchor,  the  New  York  Citizen. 

From  Chancellorsville  to  Gettysburg,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Citizen. 

Obituary.  Miss  Ada  E.  Hancock,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Evening  Post. 

Origin  of  the  Bonaparte  (Napoleon  I.),  by  Anchor. 

Eeview  of  General  Humphrey's  "Virginia  Campaign 
of  '64  and  '65,"  by  General  de  Peyster,  in  the  Manhattan. 

General  Alfred  Pleasanton,  by  Anchor. 

The  True  Lover  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  by  Anchor. 

My  Fatherland  and  Song  of  Charles  Twelfth's  Sol- 
diers.    Translation  from  the  Swedish,  by  Anchor. 

Some  More  Facts  in  connection  with  Burgoyue's 
Campaign,  by  Anchor. 

To  Philadelphia  and  Trenton  by  the  Bound  Brook 
Eoute,  by  Anchor. 

Prague,  by  Anchor. 

Salutatory  read  at  the  First  Fall  Meeting  at  J.  W. 
Hamersley's  Noctes  Atticae. 

The  French  and  German,  by  xVnchor. 

Blucher  on  the  Rhine.  A  poem  from  the  German  of 
Kopisch,  by  Anchor. 

A  Significant  Conversation,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail. 

Prussia  in  the  Right,  by  Anchor. 

Portable  Fire  Escapes,  by  Anchor. 

French  Barbarism  in  War,  by  Anchor. 

Frederick  the  Great,  Translated  from  Michelet's  "Louis 
XV,"  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Citizen. 

Alsatia,  by  Anchor. 

An  American  in  the  German  Army,  by  Anchor,  letter 
to  the  Army  and  Navy  Journal. 

The  French  Surrender,  by  Anchor. 

Are  the  Germans  Tired  of  the  War,  by  Anchor. 

Political  Changes  in  Europe,  by  Anchor. 

The  Military  Situation,  by  Anchor. 

Holland-Belgium  War. 


314  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

A   Series   of  Articles  on   the  Austro-French  War   in 
Italy,  1859. 

Servian  Affairs,  by  Anchor. 
Death  of  Eeynolds,  by  Anchor. 
A  Visit  to  Gettysburg,  by  Anchor. 
After  Gettysburg  and  at  Williamsport,  by  Anchor. 
Prussia  and  France.     Effect  of  the  War  in  the  Old 
World  upon  the  New  World,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Citizen. 

The  Battle  of  Olustee  or  Ocean  Pond,  by  Anchor. 
The  Death  of  Sir  Francis  Drake,  a  poem,  by  Anchor. 
The  Fate  of  Admiral  Cavendish,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  American. 

Song  of  Raleigh's  Men,  a  poem,  by  Anchor. 
My  Horse,  a  poem,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Journal  and 
Eagle. 

Ground  occupied   by   Sardinians,  by   Anchor,   in   the 
New  York  Express. 

Savoy  and  Sicily,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Express. 
A  Ramble  in  New  England,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Post. 

Europe,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Express. 
The  Despotism  of  Slavery,  by  J.  W.  de  P. 
Canadian    Correspondence    (a    Trip    to    Canada),    by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Express. 

Human  Attributes  and  Rights  Sacred  and  Inalienable, 
by  Anchor. 

Physical  Strength  Compared,  by  J.  W.  de  P. 
A  Visit  to  Nantucket,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Post. 

Martha's  Vineyard,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Eve- 
ning Post. 

Quadruple  Siege  of  Turin,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Express. 

The  Prussians  at  Waterloo,  by  Anchor. 
The  Recent  Battle  Fields,  by  Anchor. 
Can  Paris  Hold  Out?     By  Anchor. 
Lieutenant-General  von  Goeben,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  315 

The  Lull  in  the  Fight  (Prussian),  hy  Anchor. 

Head  of  the  Chevalier  Saxe,  for  the  New  York  Leader. 

Nancy  to  Chalons,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail,  15  August  (year  unknown). 

A  Visit  to  Quebec,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Citizen. 

What  we  observed  in  Richmond,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
New  York  Citizen. 

Eeview  of  the  Count  of  Paris'  "History  of  the  Civil 
War  in  America,"  by  Anchor. 

Dreaming,  Still  Dreaming,  a  poem,  by  Anchor. 

Our  Empire  State,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

Oysters,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Mail. 

A  Presumed  Pre-Adamite,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail. 

Special  Correspondence  from  Allentown,  by  Anchor. 
Dated  15  April  (no  year  given),  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

King  Sardanapalus,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

The  Hamlets  of  the  Stage,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Mail. 

Hobbie,  by  Chrononhononthologos,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

The  Countess  Guiccioli,  by  Justice,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Mail. 

My  Vaderland,  a  poem,  by  Anchor,  in  the  Eagle, 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

The  Popes  of  the  Fifteenth  Century,  by  Anchor, 
Translation,  in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

Holland  in  the  1637-8,  by  J.  W.  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

Gems  of  Dutch  (Hollandish)  History,  by  J.  W.  de  P., 
in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

An  Excursion  through  Holland,  by  De  P.,  in  the 
Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

The  Bursting  Storm,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eagle, 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 


316  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER 

Eosecrans  at  Cliickamauga,  with  Note  by  Anchor,  in 
the  New  York  Citizen. 

Military  Maxims,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  in  the 
Republican. 

An  Interesting  Letter.  Correspondence,  by  Anchor, 
dated  Tivoli,  New  York,  11  July,  1859,  in  the  New  York 
Express. 

Military  Lessons,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader. 

How  Baner  Outwitted  the  Imperial  Generals,  by 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Leader. 

Ho !  for  the  North  Pole !  By  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Post,  18,  21  June  (year  unknown). 

The  Susquehannah  Valley,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New 
York  Evening  Post. 

Major-General  Philip  Kearny.  A  Poem,  by  x\nchor, 
in  the  New  York  Evening  Post. 

Is  there  an  Open  Polar  Sea  at  the  North  Pole?  By 
Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening  Post. 

Iconology,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie, 
New  York. 

Northeast  About,  by  Anchor. 

Daniel  E.  Sickles,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster. 

Skirmishers,  by  A.,  in  the  United  States  Army  and 
Navy  Journal, 

Sir  John  Johnson,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.). 

The  Eventful  Life  of  De  Veaux,  by  A.,  in  the  United 
States  Army  and  Navy  Journal. 

Another  Eventful  Life  Concluded,  by  A.,  in  the  United 
States  Army  and  Navy  Journal. 

Waits  for  Orders,  by  Anchor. 

Arnold's  Life  of  Arnold,  by  Anchor. 

The  Assault  on  Savannah,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.). 

Austria  and  Prussia,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York 
Times. 

George  Bancroft,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster. 

The  Battle  of  Waterloo  Anatomized,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
United  States  Army  and  Navy  Journal. 

The  Campaigns  in  Western  Virginia,  by  Anchor,  in 
the  United  States  Army  and  Navy  Journal. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  317 

The  Capturer  of  the  Bahamas  in  1783.  Another 
Eventful  Life,  by  Anchor,  in  the  United  States  Army 
and  Navy  Jonrnah 

A  Chinese  Sardanapalus,  by  Anchor. 

Enghmd  and  the  Transvaal,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.). 

The  Engagement  near  Fox's  Mills. 

Estelle,  or  False  and  True,  by  Anchor. 

Fletcher  Notes,  by  Frederic  de  Peyster  and  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster. 

The  Roman  Legion,  by  A.,  in  the  United  States  Army 
and  Navy  Journal. 

Sickles  and  the  Excelsior  Brigade,  by  Anchor. 

The  Surrender  of  Burgoyne,  a  poem,  by  J.  Watts  de 
Peyster. 

Kearny's  Brigadiers,  by  Anchor. 

The  Heat  along  the  North  Eiver,  by  Anchor,  dated 
Rose  Hill,  13  July  (year  unknown). 

Haverly's  Genuine  Colored  Minstrels,  by  Anchor. 

To  Arms  and  Fight !  A  poem,  by  Anchor. 

Bash  Bish  Falls,  by  Anchor. 

The  Battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  by  Anchor. 

The  Cephalopod  or  Octopus,  by  Anchor. 

Cuban  Letters  and  Affairs,  by  Anchor. 

Dutcliess  to  Saratoga,  by  Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.). 

Two   Other  Drives  for  Investigation,  by  Anchor. 

The  Truth  of  History,  Number  1  Broadway,  New 
York,  by  Anchor. 

Conscience,  by  Anchor. 

A  Few  Facts  respecting  the  Militia,  by  J.  W.  de  P., 
in  the  Eagle,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

Holland  and  the  Dutch,  l)y  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the  Eagle, 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

New  Hose  for  Fire  Engines,  by  J.  W.  de  P.,  in  the 
New  York  Daily  Times. 

Notes,  Vouchers,  and  Authorities.  Operations  between 
Nuremberg,  8th  September,  and  Lutzen,  Gth  November, 
1633,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster. 

Burgoyne's  Campaign,  June-October,  1777,  by  Anchor 
(J.  Watts  de  Peyster),  8  pages,  octavo. 


318  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

The  Pearl  of  Pearls,  or  the  Wild  Brunswicker  and  His 
Queen  of  Hearts.  A  fragment  of  a  historical  romance, 
liimited  edition  of  fifty  copies  printed  for  the  author. 
VI,  31-35,  51-76,  150,  159  pages,  duodecimo.  Kose  Hill, 
Tivoli,  New  York. 

The  Immediate  Agencies  by  which  the  Southern  States 
were  precipitated  into  Secession.  Intended  as  Chapter 
II  of  a  contemplated  work,  "The  Campaign  of  the  Great 
American  War,"  of  which  Chapter  I  was  published  as 
pages  75-90  of  General  de  Peyster's  Address,  to  have 
been  written  conjointly  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts 
de  Peyster  and  Joseph  B.  Lyman,  Esquire. 

Major-General  Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys.  Two 
articles,  one  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  the  other,  by 
Anchor  (J.  W.  de  P.).    . 

To  a  Little  One  in  Heaven.     A  poem. 

The  Origin  of  "Le  Centenaire,"  by  Anchor. 

Andrew  Atkinson  Humphreys,  by  General  John  Watts 
de  Peyster,  10  pages,  1  portrait,  small,  quarto. 

Waterloo,  by  Brevet  Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Pey- 
ster. Pteprint  from  College  Student,  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania, 16  pages,  2  plans,  quarto. 

Suggestions  of  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster  for  the 
Organization  of  a  Eeliable  Militia,  12  pages,  small, 
quarto  (a  Supplement  to  the  Historical  Magazine). 

Memoir  of  Major-General  William  Mahone  of  the 
Confederate  Service,  44  pages,  octavo. 

Alfred  Pleasanton,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
G  pages,  small,  quarto. 

Ambrose  E.  Biirnside,  by  General  John  Watts  de 
Peyster,  6  pages,  small,  quarto. 

Edwards  Pierrepont,  by  General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster, 
8  pages,  small,  quarto. 

Major  J.  M.  Bundy,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster, 
4  pages,  small,  quarto. 

S.  W.  Crawford,  by  General  John  Watts  de  Peyster,  6 
pages,  1  portrait,  small,  quarto. 

To  Obey  or  not  to  Obey,  that  is  the  Question,  by 
Anchor. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  319 

The  Ancient,  Medieval,  and  Modern  Netherlanders, 
Dutch  and  Flemings  *  *  *  A  series  of  pamphlets  by 
J.  Watts  de  Peyster.  Number  I,  History  of  the  Menapii, 
the  Ancient  Zealanders,  64  pages,  octavo.  Piatt  & 
Schram,  Poughkeepsie,  New  York. 

The  Niebelungen  Lied,  by  J.  W.  de  J.,  4  pages,  quarto. 

State  Sovereignty,  by  J.  Watts  de  Peyster  (Anchor),  8 
pages,  octavo  (written  in  1861). 

A  Hero  of  the  Seventeenth  Century,  by  Anchor,  in  the 
Volunteer,  Volume  I,  Number  1. 

Medical  Organization  of  the  Eoman  Armies,  by  Brevet 
Major-General  J.  Watts  de  Peyster,  32  pages,  duodecimo. 

General  Joe  Hooker.  Supposed  to  be  sung  by  one  of 
his  Division,  on  the  Summit  of  Lookout  Mountain,  sub- 
sequent to  its  capture,  November,  1863,  by  Anchor,  in 
Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Half  Dime  Magazine,  Volume  II, 
Number  12,  pages  330-332. 

Gettysburg,  Wednesday,  Thursday,  and  Friday,  July 
1st,  2nd,  and  3rd,  1863.  A  poem,  by  Anchor,  in  Soldiers' 
and  Sailors'  Half  Dime  Tales,  Volume  I,  Number  9, 
pages  137-138. 

Fort  Edward,  by  Anchor,  in  the  New  York  Evening 
Mail,  Volume  I,  pages  16, 

Theatrical  Notices,  by  Anchor:  Shylock  at  Booth's, 
A  Celebrated  Case,  Smike,  Mary  Anderson,  Hamlet,  the 
Dane,  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  Comedy  of  Errors,  Almost 
a  Life,  Banker's  Daughter,  A  Double  Marriage,  Doctor 
Clyde,  Trial  by  Jury,  Thro'  the  Dark,  Fatinitza,  Lost 
Children,  Girofle-Girofla,  Child  of  the  State,  My  Partner, 
The  False  Friend,  Fernande,  Two  Men  of  Sandy  Bar, 
The  Williamsons  in  "Struck  Oil,"  Holland  in  "The 
Crushed  Tragedian,"  Henry  VIIJ  at  Booth's,  Mother  and 
Son,  Miss  Multon,  "Our  Daughters,"  at  Haverly's, 
Dramatic  Gossip,  Union  Square  Theatre,  "My  Partner," 
at  Union  Square,  "Roughing  It,"  at  Daly's,  The  Chil- 
dren's "Pinafore,"  at  Haverly's,  Haverly's  Genuine 
Colored  Minstrels,  English  Opera  at  Booth's,  The  Naiad 
Queen,  The  Mother's  Secret,  The  Exiles  at  Bootli's,  Lost 
Children  at  Union  Square,  Atherly  Court,  TJie  Sphinx, 


320  JOHI^  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Henry  V.  at  Booth's,  Conscience.  These  articles  were 
preserved  in  General  de  Peyster's  scrap  books,  but  in 
most  cases  without  a  clear  reference  to  the  dates  of  the 
newspapers  in  which  they  appeared.  This  list  is 
probably  very  incomplete. 

DEGREES  AND  OTHEE  HONORS 

In  1870  General  de  Peyster  was  made  a  Doctor  of 
Law  by  Nebraska  College  for  "Distinguished  Literary 
Merits."  In  1872  Columbia  University  conferred  upon 
him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  He  received  from 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Letters  in  1892,  and  that  of  Doctor  of  Law  in  1896. 

In  1882  he  succeeded  his  father  as  honorary  vice- 
president  of  the  I^umismatic  and  Antiquarian  Society  of 
Philadelphia.  He  was  a  director  of  the  New  York  Insti- 
tution for  the  Instruction  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  patron 
of  the  Association  for  the  Benefit  of  Colored  Orphans, 
patron  of  the  New  York  Dispensary,  a  life  director  of 
the  American  Tract  Society,  and  life  member  of  the 
American  Bible  Society.  From  1864  to  1880  he  was  a 
director  of  the  Gettysburg  Battlefield  Memorial  Associa- 
tion, an  honorary  member  of  the  Third  Army  Corps 
Gettysburg  Battlefield  Eeunion,  member  of  its  Honorary 
Committee,  and  first  honorary  member  of  the  Third  Army 
Corps  (Army  of  the  Potomac)  Union.  He  was  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Saratoga  (Battlefield)  Monument  Association, 
hereditary  member  of  the  Military  Society  of  the  War  of 
1812,  honorary  life  member  of  the  Toledo  Soldiers' 
Memorial  Association,  honorary  member  of  the  Military 
Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States,  honorary 
member  for  life  of  the  American  Eifle  Association,  asso- 
ciate member  of  the  Military  Institution  of  the  United 
States,  and  a  member  of  the  Military  Association  of  the 
State  of  New  York. 

He  was  a  life  member  of  the  Eoyal  Historical  Society 
of  Great  Britain,  an  honorary  member  or  fellow  of  the 
London  Society  of  Science,  Letters  and  Art,  and  the 
recipient    of    its    gold    medal    for    1894,    conferred    for 


BIBLIOGEAPHY  321 

'•'Scientific  and  Literary  Attainments,"  an  honorary 
member  of  the  Clarendon  Historical  Society  of  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  and  a  member  of  the  Maatschappij 
JSTederlandsche  Letterkunde,  of  Leyden,  Holland.  He 
was  an  honorary  member  of  the  ^ew  Brunswick  His- 
torical Society,  at  St.  John,  and  of  the  United  Empire 
Loyal  x4.ssociation.  He  was  corresponding  member  of 
the  Quebec  Literary  and  Historical  Society. 

In  the  United  States  his  membership  in  historical  and 
literary  societies  was  extensive.  He  was  a  life  member 
of  the  St.  Nicholas  Club,  of  New  York  City,  of  the 
Numismatic  and  Archaeological  Society  of  New  York, 
the  Huguenot  Society  of  America,  the  Palestine  Explora- 
tion Fund,  the  American  Geographical  Society,  the  New 
York  Gallery  of  Fine  Arts,  the  State  Historical  Society 
of  Michigan,  and  the  Ohio  State  Archaeological  and 
Historical  Society.  He  was  an  honorary  member  of  the 
New  York  Burns  Club,  the  West  Virginia  Historical  and 
Antiquarian  Society,  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society, 
the  Minnesota  State  Historical  Society,  the  Holland 
Society  of  New  York,  the  American  Historical  Associa- 
tion of  the  United  States,  and  the  Lyceum  Society  of 
Cazenovia,  New  York.  He  was  a  corresponding  memljer 
of  the  Historical  Societies  of  jMaine,  Vermont,  Ehode 
Island  (Newport),  Connecticut,  Wisconsin,  Long  Island, 
and  Virginia,  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical 
Society,  the  Historical  Society  of  Buffalo,  and  that 
of  Oneida  County,  New  York.  He  also  was  a  member 
of  the  New  York,  Montana,  Northern  Indiana,  and 
Lancaster  County  (Pennsylvania)  Historical  Societies, 
and  of  the  Century  and  Union  League  Clubs  of  New 
York.  He  was  an  honorary  member  of  many  societies 
connected  with  institutions  of  learning,  notably  the 
Phrenokosmian  Society  of  Pennsylvania  College,  the 
Philosophian  Society  of  the  Missionary  Institute,  the 
Euterpean  Society  of  Muhlenberg  College,  the  Gasman 
l^iterary  and  Philologian  Society  of  Nebraska  College, 
the  Diagnothean  Literary  Society  of  Franklin  and  Mar- 
shall College,  and  the  Philosophian  Society,  of  Cowan, 


322  JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTEE 

Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  life  member  of  the  Alumni 
Society  of  Columbia  University. 

The  Tliird  Army  Corps  Union,  composed  of  officers 
of  the  Third  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  one 
of  the  most  exclusive  military  societies  of  the  war,  paid 
General  de  Peyster  the  high  honor  of  making  him  its 
First  Honorary  Mem])er,  and  presented  him  with  a  gold 
medal.  The  action  of  its  Board  of  Directors  in  this 
connection  was  communicated  to  General  de  Peyster,  12 
July,  1870,  by  General  George  H.   Sharpe. 

"At  the  regular  annual  meeting  of  the  Third  Army 
Corps  Union,  held  at  Boston,  in  May  last,"  wrote  General 
Sliarpe,  "the  Board  of  Directors  was  instructed  to  prepare 
and  present  to  you  a  gold  medal  of  the  value  of  five 
hundred  dollars,  as  a  testimonial  of  the  appreciation  by 
the  Corps  of  your  eminent  services  in  placing  upon 
record  the  true  history  of  its  achievements. 

"We  are  aware  that  the  value  of  all  wars  is  greatly 
heightened  by  the  accuracy  of  the  records  and  monu- 
ments left  behind  them,  and  that  many  injustices  become 
permanent  when  a  critical  and  competent  hand  is  not 
within  reach  to  repair  the  wrongs  of  misstatements  and 
misrepresentation. 

"We  recognize  in  you  one  prepared  in  head  and  heart 
to  render  such  services  to  us  and  to  what  we  modestly 
but  courageously  hope  will  be  our  true  history;  and 
while  you  were  connected  with  us  by  family  membership 
and  by  the  best  blood  that  was  shed  from  our  ranks,  we 
desire  to  attest  our  recognition  of  a  work  which  none 
else  was  found  to  do  and  which  has  fixed  a  high  com- 
panionship to  endure  with  the  memory  of  the  Third 
Corps  and  its  commanders. 

"We  now  complete  our  duty  by  presenting  to  you  the 
material  evidence  of  our  estimation.  You  receive  it  from 
men  chary  of  their  gifts,  and  we  trust  that  the  date  of 
its  acceptance  may  be  ever  marked  with  white  on  the 
calendar  of  your  family." 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abbott,  Henry  L.  (Major  Gen.),  ii,  184 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  i,  100 

Address  to  Officers  of  New  York  State 

Troops,  ii,  131 
Aetheling,  Edgar,  i,  50 
Albany,  Robert  (Duke  of),  i,  53 
Alexander  I  (Emperor),  i,  281 

(I,  of  Scotland),  i,  51 

James,  i,  18 

Major-Gen.,  i,  172 

Mary  (Watts),  i,  172 

William  (Earl  of  Stirling),  i,  18, 
32 
Alexiowitsch,  Czar  Feodor,  i,  280 
Alger,  R.  A.,  ii,  241,  243 
Allen,  J.  A.  (Prof.),  ii,  254,  255 
America's  Greatest  Military  Critic,  ii, 

173 
Amys,  Jeanne  (de  Pevster),  i,  15 
Anderson  (Gen.),  ii,  107,  137 
Andros  (Gov.),  i,  63,  67 
Anthon,  Charles  (Prof.),  i,  179 

Charles,  i,  156,  157 

Frederic,  i,  156,  161;    ii,  261 

Henry,  D.  D.  (Rev.),  i,  25 

Henry,  i,  156 

John,  i,  156,  157 

Phil,  i,  156 
Antietam,  ii,  44-46,  80,  85,  89,  90,  92, 

149 
Anti-rent  Movement,  i,  114,  216 
Approach  of  War,  ii,  11 
Araktschejef  (Gen.),  i,  242 
Aristarchi  Bey,  ii,  194 
Arlington  Heights,  Battle  of,  ii,  23 
Arms,  Suggestions  as  to,  i,  275 
Armstrong,  Henry  B.  (Col.),  i,  176 
Arnand  (Mons.),  i,  108 
Ashton,  Frances  Goodhue,  i,  23 
Astor,  John  Jacob,  Jr.,  i,  179 
Attila,  ii,  192,  193 
Auchmuty  (Rev.),  i,  20 
Axtell  Guards,  i,  22 
Axtell,  William  (Hon.),  i,  20 
Badeau,  Adam  (Gen.),  ii,  174 
Baker,  ii,  200 
Baldwin,  Charles  H.  (Admiral),  ii, 

183,  184 
Baliol,  52 
Banks,  ii,  42,  200 
Barberie,  John,  i,  37 
Barclav,  Anthony,  i,  139 

Henry,  i,  207 

Thomas  (Col.),  i,  38 


Barker,  Jacob,  i,  99 

Barlow,  Francis,  C.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii, 

184 
Barnard,  Daniel  B.  (Hon.),  i,  234 
note 

John  Gross  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  173, 
184 
Barnum,  i,  187 
Baudertius,  Mary,  i,  66 

Wilhelmus,  i,  66 
Bayard,  Nicholas  (Col.),  i,  60,  61,  73 

Samuel,  i,  45 

William,  i,  20 
Beach,  W.  D.  (Major),  ii,  243 
Beard  (Dr.),  ii,  263 
Beauregard  (Gen.),  ii,  41,  64,  79,  82- 

84,  1.35 
Beekman,  Alida,  i,  66 

Andrew,  i,  66 

Ann,  i,  22 

Arms  of,  i,  69 

Catharina,  i,  68 

Catharine,  i,  65 

Caterine,  i,  68 

Cornelia,  i,  67 

Cornelia,  i,  56,  69 

Family,  i,  65 

Gerard,  i,  65,  66 

Gerard  G.,  i,  22 

Gerardus,  i,  67 

Harman,  i,  65 

Hendrick,  i,  65,  66,  67 

Hendrick  (Col.),  i,  68 

Henry  (Col.),  i,  45,  56,  69 

Jacobus,  i,  67 

James  W.  (Senator),  i,  227;    ii,  20 

Johan,  i,  65 

Johannes,  i,  67 

John,  i,  66 

Margaretha,  i,  65 

Maria,  i,  66 

Marie,  i,  67 

Martin,  i,  66 

Martinus,  i,  68 

Wilhelmus,  i,  67,  68 

William,  i,  45,  66 

William  (DeHeer),  i,  67,  68 
Bellomont,  Richard  (Earl  of),  i,  18, 

19,  63,  72,  73 
Benson,  Bob,  i,  154 
Bentham,  Jeremy,  i,  131 
Bentlev,  C.  W.  (Lt.  Gen.),  i,  322 

Z.  T.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  303 
Beppy,  i,  92,  105,  132 


325 


326 


INDEX 


Bergh,  i,  179,  180 

Bermingham,  i,  58 

Bernard,  ii,  134 

Berrian,  William,  DM).  (Rev.),  ii. 

212 
Berry,  ii,  126,  133 
Bertrand,  Marguerite,  i,  36 

Pierre,  i,  36 
Berwick,  Duke  of,  ii,  115 
Beverwyck,  i,  78 
Bibby  (Dr.),  i,  165,  166 
Bishop,  David  Wolfe,  i,  23 
Bissell,  George  E.,  ii,  234,  235,  240 
Birney  (Gen.),  ii,  118,  135 
Blenker  (Gen.),  ii,  26 
Blucher,  i,  316;    ii,  70-72,  166,  169 
Blunt,  Orison,  i,  182 
Bothwell,  ii,  180 
Bowdoin  (Mr.),  ii,  21 
Boyd,  Janet,  i,  29 
Braddock  (Gen.),  ii.  211 
Bragg  (Gen.),  ii,  64,  73,  74,  76,  156, 

205 
Branche,  Isabel,  i,  35 
Brandenburg  (Elector  of),  i,  65 
Brevoort,  Henry,  i,  166 
Broadway,  Number  Three,  i,  91,  93, 

97,  104 
Brodie,  Benjamin  (Sir),  i,  192,  194, 

198 
Brouwers,  Arnolda,  i,  66 
Brown,  John,  ii,  19 

N.  D.  <^Hon.),  i,  234,  note 
Browne,  Walter,  ii,  212 
Bruce,  i,  51 

Benjamin  F.,  i,  228,  292 
Bryant,  William  CJullen,  ii,  184 
Buchanan,  Li,  19 
Pres.,  ii,  187 
J.,  ii,  16 
Buell  (Gen.),  ii,  41,  74,  78,  79,  82, 

84,  85 
Buford  (Gen.),  ii,  155 
Bullard,  William  (Maj.),  i,  317,  319; 

ii,  182 
Bull  bait,  in  New  York,  i,  137 
Bullet,  Diana,  i,  177 
Bull  Run,  i,  26,  27;   ii,  15,  25 
Bundy,  J.  M.  (Maj.),  ii,  184,  185-196 
Burgoyne,  ii,  179 
Burnside  (Gen.),  ii,  86,  88,  90,  91,  95, 

96,  98-102,  105,  166 
Burr,    Aaron,   i,    186 
Butler  (Gen.),  ii,  24,  33 
Butterfield,  Daniel  (Maj.-Gen.),i,  311; 

u,  38,  103,  259 
Buyck,  Catharina,  i,  83 

Cors  Jansen,  i,  83 
Bygriup,  i,  76 
Caesar,  ii,  195 
Calderwood  (Mr.),  i,  31 
Callendar,  Christian,  52 
Patrick  (Sir),   52 
William  Livingston  (Lord  of), 

i,  54 
Gors,  i,  1,  42 


Cameron,  ii,  23 

Campbell,  James  (Sir),  i,  30 

Canmore,  Malcolm,  i,  50 

Canons  of  Holy  Cross  Church,  Charter 

of,  i,  50 
Canterbury  (Archbishop  of),  i,  50 
(Canute  (King),  i,  50 
Carleton  (Captain),  i,  256 
Carlinnias,  Johannes  (Dominie),  i,  81 
Carpenter,  John,  Jr.,  ii,  238 
Carpenters'  Guild,  i,  14 
Carr,  Eugene  A.  (Maj. -Gen.),  ii,  184 

Joseph  B.  (Maj. -Gen.),  ii,  184,  185 
Carriage,   Field,  i,   220;     Garrison,  i, 
220;  Mountain  Howitzer,  i,  220, 
307;     Romme    Naval,   i,    220; 
Seige  Gun,  i,  307 
Casey,  ii,  120 
Cassilis,  Countess  of,  i,  32 

Earl  of,  i,  95 
Catherine  II  (Empress),  i,  280 
Chambers,  John  (Hon.),  i,  43 

Joseph  J.,  i,  292 
Chancellorsville,  i,  26;   ii,  31,  59;    plan 
of,  ii,  101  et  seq.;    crux  of,  ii, 
126   etseq.;    fruits   of,    ii,    143 
et  seq. 
Charge,  Henry,  i,  70 
Charles  I,  i,  54;    ii,  265 
Charles  II  of  England,  i,  67,  80 
Charles  VI  of  France,  i,  13 
Charlton,  John  (Dr.),  i,  21 
Chattanooga,  ii,  75,  76,  191 
Childs,  ii,  145 
Chippewa,  Battle  of,  33 
Christie,  Alice,  i,  39,  40 

Rev.,  i,  39 
Church,  Frank  P.,  ii,  184 

W.  C.  (Col.),  i,  315 
Clark,  C.  C,  ii,  52 

Farley,  i,  178 

I.  T.,  ii,  256 

Myron  H.  (Gov.),  i,  117,  292,  293, 
296-300,  302;    ii,  22,  49 
Clarkson,  Matthew,  i,  21,  23 

Susan  Maria,  i,  23 
Claverack,  Manor  of,  i,  81,  105 
Clay,  Henry,  ii,  187 
Clinton,  De  Witt  (Gov.),  i,  24,  98 

George  (Gov.),  ii,  186 
Cnoetz,  i,  65 
Cobb  (Gen.),  ii,  85,  86 
Coddington.  Thomas,  i,  61 
Coe  (Rev.  Dr.),  ii,  217 
Cohorn,  ii,  193 
Golden,  Alexander  (Rev.),  i,  39 

Alexander,  i,  40 

Arms  of,  i,  40 

Cadwallader  (Gov.),  i,  38,  39,  40 

Cadwallader,  ii,  231 

David,  i,  40 

Eli7abeth,  i.  33.  38-40;  ii,  231 

Family,  i,  35,  39 
Collect  or  Kalek  Hock,  i,  66 
College  Greens,  i,  24 
Collins,  John,  i,'84 


INDEX 


327 


Conflagration  of  New  York,  1776,  i, 

175;    of  1836,  i,  180 
Conrad,   Charles   M.    (Secy.),    i,   234, 

269,  273,  note 
Cooper,  i,  117 

Rev.,  i,  20 

Charlie,  i,  179 

Duncan,  ii,  261 

Tom,  i,  179 
Cordova,  Caliph  of,  i,  139 
Corinth,  ii,  75 

Cornbury  (Lord),  i,  60,  61,  73 
Cornells,  Gerritse,  i,  68 
Cornell,  George,  i,  153,  178,  218 
Cornish  (Capt.),  ii,  261 

George,  i.  190,  191 
Cornwallis  (Lord),  i,  316 
Correord,  ii,  198 
Couch,  u,  106,  109,  1.34,  135 
Cowman,  Augustus  T.  (Col.),  ii,  12 
Coxe  (Rev.  Dr.),  ii,  265 

Cleveland  (Bishop),  i,  127 

John,  i,  38 
Crawford,  ii,  240 

S.  W.  (Maj.-Gen.),  i,  312;     ii,  36, 
167,  184,  185 
Crittenden,  ii,  78 
Cromwell,  ii,  265 
Cropper  (Capt.),  i,  194 
Crowther  (Mr.),  i,  195 
Cniger  (Mr.),  i,  151 
Cullum,  George  W.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii, 

184 
Curtis,  ii,  41 
Cushman,  J.  B.,  i,  322 
Cust  (Gen.),  i,  317;    ii,  51 

Edward  (Sir),  ii,  176 
Dahlgren,  John  A.  (Lieut.),  i,  307 
Danckaert,  Elizabeth,  i,  15 

Thierry,  i,  15 
D'Arc,  Jeanne,  i,  148 
Davenport,  Dolly,  i,  193 
David  II,  of  Scotland,  i,  51,  52 
Davis,    Jefferson,   i,    228,    274,    note, 
307;    ii,   22.   46,  74,    146,    182, 
205 
Davits,  David,  i,  68 

George,  i,  68 

Jacobus,  i,  68 

Salomon,  i,  68 

Samuel,    i,    68 
Dawson,  ii,  178,  note 
De  Bils,  Catherine,  i,  16 
DeBois,  Maria,  i,  66 
DeBoots  or  DeBoogh,  Cataline,  i, 

67,  68 
DeBoogh,  Frederick  (Capt.),  i,  67 
DeCaluwe,  Jooayne,  i,  15 
DeCesnola  (Gen.),  ii,  30 
Decisive  Battles,  ii,  68 
Decker,  George  (Col.),  i,  215,  216 
Delabygarre,  i,  205 
De  la  Court,  Jan,  i,  78 
De  la  Marmora,  Alexandre  (Lt.  Gen.), 

i,  279 
De  Lancey,  Alice,  i,  38 


De  Lancey,  Ann,  i,  32,  33,  37,  39,  45, 
46,  84,  86;    ii,  231 

Anne,  i,  37,  38 

Arms  of,  i,  39 

Barbe,  i,  35 

Charles  (Vicomte  de  Laval),  i,  35 

Charles,  i,  35 

Christophe   (Seigneur  de   Raray), 
i,  35 

Claude,  i,  35 

Edward  F.,  ii,  251 

Elizabeth,  i,  38 

Etienne,  i,  35,  36;    ii,  231 

Family,  i,  35 

Guy    (Vicomte    de    Laval),    i,    35 

Jacques  (Seigneur),  i,  36 

Jacques,  i,  35,  36 

James,  i,  36-38 

Jane,  i,  117 

Jane,  i,  33,  34,  38-40,  46,  48,  84, 
86,    ii;     216,     223,     230,     231 

Jean    (Vicomte    de    Laval),    i,    35 

John,  i,  37,  38 

Oliver,  i,  37,  38 

Peter,  i,  33,  36-40,  46,  48,  84,  86; 
ii,  231 

Stephen,  i,  32,  36-39,  45,  46,  48, 
84,  86 

Susan,  i,  37 

Susanna,  i,  36,  38 

Warren,  i,  38 
Delano  (Capt.),  i,  194 
De  Lavoye,  Catalina,  i,  14 
De  Lesseps  (Count),  ii,  186 
De  Lewenhaupt,  Eric  (Count),  ii,  16 
De  Livingston,  Andrew  (Sir),  i,  51 

Archibald  (Sir),  i,  51 

Elena,  i,  51 

Margaret,  i,  51 

William  (Sir),  i,  51,  52,  63 
De  Luze,  Charles,  H.,  i,  162 
De  Marcilly,  Anne,  i,  35 
De  May,  Claude,  i,  35 
De  Pester,    Hyacinthe    Julien  Joseph 
(Count),  i,  14 

Jean  Baptiste  (Lord  of  Locquerie), 
i,  14 

Julien  Ghislain  (Count  of  Seneffe), 
i,  14 

Louis  (Seigneur),  i,  14 

Pierre  Francois  (Le  Seigneur),  i, 
14 
De  Peyster,   Abraham,  i,  17,  19,   20, 
21,    22,    43,    44,    48,    167,    186 

Abraham  (Capt.),  i,  22 

Abraham  (De  Herr),  i,  16-20;    ii, 
234,  240 

Adrien,  i,  16 

Adrienne  Jacqueline,  i,  16 

Ann,  i,  21 

Ann  Adriana,  i,  21 

Ann  Frederica,  i,  23 

Anne,  i,  13 

Arent  (Capt.),  i,  20 

Arent  Schuyler   (Col.),  i,  20 

Arms,  i,  28 


328 


INDEX 


De  Peyster,  Augustus,  i,  23 

Baudouin,  i,  13,  14 

Baudouine,  i,  14 

Carola  Anna,  i,  28 

Catharina  (Margareta  Katrijn), 
i,  16,  17,  19,  20 

Catharine,  i,  16,  19,  20,  45 

Catharine  M.  Van  Cortlandt,  i,  23 

Clermont  Livingston,  i,  27 

Cornelia,  i,  18 

Cornelius,  i,  18 

EUzabeth,  i,  15,  19,  21,  22 

Estelle  Elizabeth,  i,  26,  27;    ii,  228 

Esther  Estelle,  i,  27 

Eve,  i,  20,  21 

Frances  Goodhue,  i,  24 

Frederic  (Capt.),  i,  22-24,  44,  48, 
57,  59,  61,  64,  69,  85,  87,  98, 
186 

Frederic  (Col.),  i,  26,  167,  224;  ii, 
26,  229;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
ii,  24;    brevetted  Major,  ii,  26 

Frederic,  i,  17,  20,  22,  24,  25,  34, 
39,  44,  48.  49,  57,  59,  61,  64, 
69,  75,  82,  84-87,  98,  170;  ii, 
215,  216,  220,  223,  231  note, 
247,  251 

Frederic  Augustus  (Capt.),  i,  22, 
125,    143,    186,    187,    192 

Frederic  James,  i,  23 

Gilles,  i,  14 

Helen  Livingston  Hake,  i,  24 

Heinric,  i,  13 

Henry  (Sir),  i,  14 

Hugues,  i,  15 

Isaac,  i,  16-19;   Islando,  i,  20 

Jacob,  i,  18 

Jacob  Ashton,  i,  23 

Jacques,  i,  15,  16 

James  (Capt.),  i,  22 

James,  i,  20,  21,  22,  44,  48,  61,  64; 
ii,  25 

James  Ferguson  (Capt.),  i,  22,  23 

Jan,  i,  13,  16 

Jean,  i,  13,  14,  15 

Joanna,  i,  17,  19 

Joanna  Cornelia,  i,  23 

Johan,  i,  17 

Johannes,  i,  16-19;    ii,  235 

John,  i,  19 

John  Watts.  Adjutant-General, 
i,  292,  293,  297-300,  302; 
Ancestry,  i,  15,  16,  25-28,  32, 
34,  39,  40,  44-49,  57,  59,  61, 
64,  69,  75,  82,  84-87;  Assigned 
to  visit  Europe,  i,  231;  Awarded 
badge  of  distinction,!,  230:  Ben- 
efactions, ii,  211-258;  Amer- 
ican Rifle  Association  badge, 
ii,  245;  Bron/es  and  Paintings, 
ii,  234-240;  Churches,  ii,  226- 
233;  Colleges  and  Libraries, 
ii,  247-258;  Ferguson  Rifle, 
ii,  241-245;  Fireman's  Hall, 
Madalin,  N.  Y.,  ii,  229;  Frank-  \ 
lin  and  Marshall  College  Libra-  I 


ry,  ii,  247;  Hospitals  and 
Schools,  ii,  219-225;  Leake 
and  Watts  Orphan  House,  ii, 
211-218;  Methodist  Church 
de  Peyster,  N.  Y.,  ii,  229; 
Methodist  Church,  Madalin, 
N.  Y.,  ii,  227;  Priory  Farm, 
ii,  219;  St.  Augustine's  Chapel, 
Nebraska  City,  ii,  227;  St. 
Paul's  Parish,  Tivoli,  N.  Y.. 
ii,  229;  St.  Paul's  Training 
School  for  boys,  ii,  220,  221; 
Statue  of  De  Heer  Abraham 
de  Peyster,  ii,  234,  247;  Statue 
of  Hon.  John  Watts,  ii,  234; 
Statue  of  St.  Winefride,  ii, 
235;  Trinity  Memorial  Church, 
Natchitoches,  La.,  ii,  226; 
Watts  de  Peyster  Home,  Ver- 
bank,  N.  Y.,  ii,  222-224;  Watts 
de  Peyster  Industrial  home  for 
girls,  ii,  224;  Bibliography,  ii, 
269-320;  Birthday  breakfasts, 
ii,  181,  184;  Brevet  Major- 
General,  i,  310:  commission, 
i,  321;  Brigadier-General,  i, 
222,  225;  Children,  i,  26; 
College,  i,  178:  Colonel,  i,  212; 
Command  of  22d  Regt.,  i,  217; 
Degrees  and  other  honors,  ii, 
320;  Early  reminiscences,  i, 
91  et  seq.;  Europe,  trips  to, 
i,  144  et  seq.,  184  et  seq.; 
Emancipation  of  Slaves,  ii,  38; 
Estimates  of  men,  ii,  181; 
Judge-Advocate,  i,  205,  211; 
Leave  of  absence,  i,  305; 
Medals,  i.  218,  235,  ii,  16; 
Membership  in  Societies,  ii, 
321,  322;  Military  Agent  to 
Europe,  i,  228,  267,  ii,  11,  12; 
Military  critic,  ii,  173  et  seq.; 
Military  Services,  i,  218  et  seq., 
229;  Militia  reorganization,  ii, 
53,  54,  66;  Negro  regiments, 
ii,  38,  41,  52;  Ninth  Brigade, 
i,  226,  305,  306:  Offers  of  serv- 
ice during  Civil  war,  i,  319, 
320,  ii,  19  et  seq.,  50;  Personal 
traits,  ii,  259-265;  Predictions, 
ii,  67,  194  et  seq.;  Testimo- 
nials, i,  310  et  seq.;  Uniform, 
authorization  to  wear,  i,  308, 
power  to  prescribe,  i,  217,  218; 
Volunteer  Fireman,  i,  179; 
Writings,  Military,  during  war, 
ii,  58  et  seq.;  partial  lists,  ii, 
11,  12,  15,  16,  58-60,  66,  67, 
179 

John  Watts,  Jr.  (C;ol.),  i,  26,  93, 
167;  ii,  29-31,229-232;  brevet- 
ted Colonel,  ii,  31;  Commis- 
sioned Major,  ii,  30;  dismissed 
from  service,  ii,  32. 

Johnston  Livingston  (Col.),  i, 
26,    27;    ii,    32,    33,    36,    230; 


INDEX 


329 


brevetted  Colonel,  ii,  34;  hoists 
first  flag  over  Richmond,  ii,  34 
De  Peyster,  Jonas,  i,  16 

Joseph  Reade,  i,  21 

Josse,  i,  15,  16,  17 

Jossine,  i,  15 

Justine  Watts,  i,  23 

Lawrence  Reade,  i,  22 

Lievin,  i,  14,  16 

Maitre  Martin,  i,  14 

Margaret,  i,  23  20,  21, 

Marguerite,  i,  14 

Maria,  i,  18,  19,  187 

Maria  Livingston,    i,     26,    28;     ii, 
226-228,  230 

Maria  Rosevelt,  i,  23 

Marie,  i,  16 

Martin,  i,  14 

Mary,  i,  19,  21,  27 

Mary  Elizabeth,  i,  23 

Mary  Justina,  i,  27 

Mary  Reade,  i,  22 

Oste,  i,  14 

Othon,  i,  14,  15 

Pierre,  i,  13,  16,  17,  20 

Pierre  Guillaume,  i,  19,  20 

Pierre   Van   Cortlandt,   i,   23 

Reynier,  i,  14 

Richard  Varick,  i,  23 

Robert,  i,  158 

Robert  Gilbert  Livingston,  i,  22, 
23,  99 

Samuel,  i,  16 

Samuel  Hake,  i,  22 

Sarah,  i,  16,  22 

Susan  Maria  Clarkson,  i,   23 

Walter,  i,  24 

WlUem,  i,  13,  16 
Derrick,  W.  S.,  i,  233 
De  Runda,  Rev.  (N.  Y.).  i.  20 
der  Vail,  Jan   (Col.),  i,  43,  64 
de  Salines,  Ferdinand,  i,  15 
de  Scoenkere,  Simon,  i,  13 
deVilliers,  Marie,  i,  35 
Devin  (Gen.),  ii,  119 
DeVries,  Eva,  i,  43 

Pieter  Rudolphus,  i,  43,  64 
DeWitt  (Gen.),  i,  242 
Diebitsch,  "Tabalkausky,"  ii,  194, 

195 
Dix,  Morgan  (Rev),  ii,  215 
Donatello,  ii,  240 
Donell,  Joy,  i,  56 

Dongan  (Gov.),  i,  55,  63,  67,  72,  80 
Doubleday,  |Abner  (Maj.-Gen.).  ii, 

184,  185 
Douglas,  Agnes,  i,  52 

James  (Sir),  52 
Draft  riots,  ii,  53 
Duane,  James  (Judge),  ii,  211 
Dubbs,  Joseph  H.  (Prof.),  ii,  248 
Dudley,  Henry,  ii,  228 
Duke's  Laws,  The,  i,  71 
Dundas  of  Dundas,  i,  53 
Dunn,  G.  W.,  ii,  240 
Duperrier,  Dumaurrier,  i,  261 


Duryea,  (Col.)  i,  294,  303 

Duryea,  Harmanus  (Major-Gen.), 
ii,  47 

Early  (Gen.),  ii,  95,  137,  138,  178 

Edict  of  Nantes,  i,  36 

Edinburgh,  City  Corporation.*,  i, 
29 

Edward  I,  of  England,  i,  51 

Elector  of  the  Prince,  i,  14 

Elizabeth  Petrowna  (Empress),  i, 
280 

Ellice  Islands,  i,  20 

Elliot,  Thomas  (Rev.),  ii,  228 

Emott,  James,  i,  73 

Erie  Canal,  Celebration,  i,  95,  97 

Eugene  of  Savoy,  i,  241;  ii,  69,  156 

Europe,  Trip  to,  i,  144,  184 

Everett,  Edward  (Hon.),  i,  269 

Ewell  (Gen.),  ii,  154,  155,  165,  166, 
168 

Fair  Oaks,  Battle,  ii,  30 

Farragut  (Admiral),  ii,  34,  81,  184 

Farrington,  Thomas  (Adj. -Gen.), 
i,  211 

Fay,  Theodore  A.,  i,  133 

Fenelon,  i,  129 

Fenton,  Reuben  E.  (Gov.),  i,  310, 
315,  323 

Ferguson,  Patrick  (CoL),  ii,  242, 
243,  244 

Field,  Benjamin  Hazard,  i,  23 
Cortlandt  de  Peyster,  i,  23 
Florence  Van  Cortlandt,  i,  23 

Fillmore,  Millard  (Pres.),  ii,  187 

Fire  departments,  of  Europe,  i,  287; 
Florence,  i,  264;  New  York,  i, 
289;  paid,  i,  228;  report  on 
foreign,  i,  260;  Paulin  dress, 
i,  289;  first  engine  in  New  York 
i,  36;  Steam  and  floating  en- 
gines, i,  289;  escapes,  i,  289, 
313;    telegraph,  i,  289. 

Firel,  Demoiselle,  i,  36 

Fleming  (Maj.-Gen.),  i,  24 
Barbara,  i,  55 
Bartholomew,  i,  55 
Ehzabeth,  53 
Malcolm,  53 
Robert  (Lord),  53 
William,  53 

Fletcher  (Gov.),  i,  44,  60,  67 

Floyd,  Richard,  Jr.  (Col.),  i,  72,  74 

Fontaine  (Mr.),  i,  189 

Forbes,  Paul,  ii,  184 

Forest  (Gen.),  ii,  103,  147 

Fort  Donelson,  ii,  73 

Fournoue,  Battle,  i,  35 

Foster,  La  Favette  S.,  ii,  184 

Fox  Gap,  ii,  86 

Franklin  (Gen.),  ii,  52,  86,  95,  98, 
100 
Benjamin,  i,  40 

Franks,  Phelia,  i,  38 

Fraser,  Wm.  Augustus  (Sir),  ii,  257 

Frederic' the  Great,  i,  214;  ii,  61,  70,  72, 
83,  113,  117,  1.34,  144,  169,  201 


330 


INDEX 


Fredericksburg,  i,  26;  ii,  95,  96 
Freemantle,  (Col.),  ii.  167 
Fremont,  ii,  19 

French  (Gen.),  ii,  96,  154,  155 
Ann,  i,  61 
Anne,  i,  61,  64 
EIi?abeth,  i,  61 
Family,  i,  60 
John,  i,  60,  61 
Margaret,  i,  61 
Philip,  i,  60,  61,  63,  64 
Fry,  James  B.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  184 
Fullerton,  W.  S.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  303 
Fulton,  Robert,  ii,  250 
Gale,  T.  B.,  i,  293 
Gallion,  Z.  T.,  u,  227 
Gardner,  Asa  Bird  (Col.),  ii,  177 
Garfield,  ii,  203 
Gates  (Gen.),  ii,  241 
George  the  Third,  ii,  244 
Genghis-Kahn,  ii,  192,  193 
Gerard,  James  W.,  ii,  184 
Gettysburg,  ii,  80,  129,  149,  150,  152, 

154  et  seq. 
Ghent,  i,  13, 
Gibbon,  ii,  138 

Gilbert  (Brother),  ii,  219,  220 
Gilmore,  Quincy  A.  (Maj.-Gen.),  n, 

62,  184 
Goldsmiths'  Guild,  i,  13 
Goltown  (Lord),  i,  31 
Gomensbagh,  Geertryd,  i,  65 
Gouverneur,  Sam,  i,  95,  98,  99 
Grafton,  Jane,  i,  70 

John,  i,  70 
Graham,  Charles  K.  (Maj.-Gen.), 

i,  106,  311;  ii,  120 
Gram,  John,  ii,  219,  220 
Graymont,  i,  14 

Grant  (Gen.),  u,  34-36,  56,  59,  61,  71, 
72,  78.  79,  82,  84,  118,  153,  162, 
168,    174,    187-190,    192,    195, 
206 
Gray  (Mr.),  ii,  240 
Greely,  A.  W.  (Brig.-Gen.),  ii,  241, 

242 
Greenough,  ii,  240 
Griffin,  Martha,  ii,  225 
Grinnell,  Henry,  i.  172,  173 
Robert,  i,  173 
Sarah,  i,  171 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  i,  237;  ii,  134, 

166,  193,  201 
Hainault,  i,  14 
Hake  (Lord),  i,  22,  57 

Helen,  i,  22-24,  57.  59,  69,  85, 

87,  187 
Samuel      (Commissary     General), 
i,  22,  57,  59,  69,  85,  86 
Halleck   (Gen.),  ii,  24,  52,   154,    155, 
158,    159,    161,    177,    188,   204 
Halley,  i,  40 
Halsted,  Oliver  S.,  ii.  44,  45,  48,  49, 

51,  52 
Hamblin,  Joseph  E.  (Maj.-Gen.). 
ii.  184 


Hamersley.  John  W.,  ii,  184,  195 

William  (Dr.),  i,  22 
Hamet  (Mr.),  i,  145 
Hamilton,  James,  i,  147 
John,  i,  19,  154 
Schuyler,  i,  154 
Hancock,    Winfield  Scott   (Gen.),  ii, 

129,  130,  155,  167,  184 
"Handsome  Brook,"  i,  111 
Hannibal,  ii,   201 
Hardee,  W.  J.  (Lt.  Col.),  i,  .307 
Hardenbroeck,  Margaret,  i,  43,  64 
Hardy,  Wm.,  ii,  244 
Harris  (Capt.),  i.  151 

(Senator),  ii,  21,  319,  320 
William,  i,  66 
Harrison  (Pres.),  ii,  187 
Hartranft,  John  F.  (Maj.-Gen),  ii, 

184 
Hartzell,  ii,  236 
Hassler,  F.  R.  (Major),  ii,  33 
Hastings,  Hugh,  ii,  254 
Hatch,  i,  114 
Haukens,  Leonora,  i,  78 
Havans  (Mr.),  i,  75 
Hay,  John  (Col.),  ii,  184 

John  (Lord),  i,  54 
Heathcote,  Anne,  i,  37 

Caleb,  i,  37 
Heintzelman,    Samuel    Peter    (Maj.- 
Gen.),  ii,  22,  25,  29,  157,  185, 
239 
Hempstead  Convention,  i,  71 
Hendrick,  E.  E.,  i,  293 
Hepburn,  i,  53,  54 
Herbert,  William  Henry,  i,  142 
Hermans,  Augustine,  i,  62 
Hickman,  John  (Hon.),  ii,  37,  38,  39, 

41,  42,  45 
Hidden,  Harrv,  ii,  123 
Hill,  A.  P.  (Gen.),  ii,  85,  86,  88.  89. 

91,  92,  95,  155 
Hitchcock,  ii,  24 
Hobart,  John  Henry  (Bishop),  i,  126, 

ii   229 
Hoff,  A.'H.,  i,  292 
Hoffman  (Mr.),  i,  174 
John  T.,  i,  311 
Ogden,  Jr.,  i,  179 
Holland,  Edward,  i,  75 
Homildon  Hill,  Battle,  i,  53 
Hone  (Mrs.),  i,  25 
Hood  (Gen.),  ii,  76,  206 
Hooker,  Joseph   (Maj.-Gen.),   i,   311; 
u,  27,  29,  31,  38,  49,  50,  55,  75- 
86-102,  107-120,  126-143,  149, 
154,  158-162,  184,  231 
Home,  John,  i,  30 
Horsmanden  (Judge),  i,  20 
Hosack,  David  (Dr.),  i,  140,  157 
Hosmer,  Edward  Sturges,  i,  27 
Houston,  John  (Sir),  53 
Hovey,  Charles  Fox,  i,  23 
Howard  (Gen.),  ii,  106,  107,  109,  119. 
120,   127,   128.   130.   131,   140 
144,  155 


INDEX 


331 


Howarden  (Miss),  i,  56 
Howe,  Albion  P.  (Maj.-Gen.).  ii>    31, 
132,    138,    139,    184,    231,    232 
Hoyt,  Lydig,  i,  179 
Huddart  (Mr.),  i  155,  141, 
Hude,  Margaret,  i,  57 
Humphreys,  Andrew  Atkinson  (Maj.- 
Gen.),  i,   135  note;  ii,  35,  97, 
174,   183-185,   190,   197 
Hunt,  Washington  (Gov.),  i,  153,  218, 
225,    226,    228-235,    267,    273, 
311;  ii,  19 
Hunter  (Gov.),  i,  39 
Hutchins,  John  (Alderman),  i,  73 
Ingliss  (Rev.),  i,  20 
Inspector  General,  i,  227 
Islip  Grange,  i,  73 
Italian  War  of  1859,  ii,  15 
Ivry,  Battle,  i,  35 
Izard  (Maj.-Gen.),  i,  115 
Jackson,  Andrew  (Pres.),  i,  100,  181; 
u,  187,  188 
"Stonewall,"    ii,    80,    86,    89,    90, 
103,    104,   115,    117,    119,    120, 
122,    124,    125,   138,    144,    147, 
151,    163,    165,    168,    170,   206 
James,  Earl  of  Linlithgow,  i,  50 
James  I  of  England,  i,  29,  65 
James  II  of  Scotland,  i,  53 
James  VI  of  Scotland,  i,  29 
James,  Thomas  (Col.),  i,  21 
Jans,  Ariaentje,  i,  47 

Marritje,  i,  47 
Jansen,  Helen,  i,  58,  59 
Jay,  Gus,  i,  182;  ii,  261 
John  (Hon.),  i,  44 
Peter,  i,  44 
Frances,  i,  43 

Peter  Augustus,  i.  157,  168,  170 
Johnson  (Pres.),  ii,  187,  188 
John  (Sir),  i,  32 
William  (Sir),  i,  20;  ii,  184 
Johnston,   Albert   Sidney    (Gen.),   ii, 
73,    78-80,    82,    83,    119,    135. 
169,  206 
Andrew,  i,  45 

Joe  (Gen.),  u,  40,  64,  74,  76 
Jomini,  ii,  160 
Jones,  Charles  L.,  ii,  217 
Joubert,  ii,  134 
Kane,  Martha,  i,  57 

Maria  .Antoinette,  i,  25 
Kean  (Capt.),  i,  195 
Kearny,  Edward,  ii,  40 

Philip  (Maj.-Gen.),  i,  26,  32,  34, 
102,  143,  150,  163,  168,  170. 
171,  176,  207,  211,  311,  314, 
318;  ii,  20,  29,  30,  38,  40,  43, 
44,  48-51,  80,  85,  102,  111,  135, 
198,  231,  232,  237,  238,  240 
Stephen     Watts     (Maj.-Gen.),     i, 

32,  115,  177 
Susan,  i,  168,  171 
Keeley,  i,  193 

Keenan  (Major),  ii  122,  123,  124 
Kemble  (Gov.),  ii,  187 


Kemble,  Peter,  i,  45 

Kennedy,  Archibald  (Hon.),  i,  32,  95 

Kieft  (Gov.),  i,  42 

King  (General),  i,  33 

(Mr.),  u,  215 

(Mrs.),  ii,  225 
Kinney,  Wm.  B.  (Hon.),  i,  234  note 
Kip,  Garrett  Berg,  i,  28 

Jacob,  i,  67 
Kissam,  Ben.,  i,  178 
Kleber,  ii,  123 
Klqeber,  ii,  188 
Knight,  Elizabeth,  i,  55 

H.  W.  M.;  ii,  248 
Knox,  John,  i,  179,  ii,  213 
Knypers,  Gerardus  A.  (Rev.),  ii,  212 
Ladley  (Rev.),  i,  20 
Lafayette,  i,  95,  98,  106 
Lahrbush,    Frederic    (Capt.),   i,    316; 

ii,  181,  182 
Laight,  Ehzabeth  (Mrs.),  i,  93,  97,  99, 
120,  159,  169,  172 

Henry,  i,  34,  ii,  223 
La  Mormora  (Lieut. -Gen.),  i,  318 
Langdon,  i,  166 
Langedeway,  Mary,  i,  70 
Lasey,  Marshal,  i,  241 
Lasher,  P.  H.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  212.  229 
Lawrence,  Jack,  i,  158 

Thomas  (Sir),  ii,  215 

William,  i,  171 
Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House,  i, 

24,  33;  ii,  211-218 
Leake,  John  George,  i,  33;  ii,  211-215 

Johnny,  ii,  215 

Robert  (Major),  i,  32 

Robert,  ii,  211 

Robert  Watts,  i,  33 

Robert  William,  ii,  211 
Le  Brun,  Madeline,  i,  35 
Lecompte  (Col.),  ii,  112 
Lee  (Gen.),  ii,  34,  35,  46,  56,  64,  73, 
85-99,    104-105,    108-110,    114- 
117,    125,    130,    131,    137,    138 
144-147,     150-174,     179,     191, 
195,  204-206 

D.  A.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  228 
Leisler,  Jacob,  i,  18,  19,  44,  45,  47  60, 

63.  72,  73  . 
Lequesne,  Catherine,  i,  16 

Elizabeth,  i,  16 
Lesdiginieres,  ii,  186 
Letters  to  Diplomatic  Agents,  i,  233, 

270 
Levy,  Charles,  H.,  ii,  227 
Library,  General  de  Peyster's,  i,  208 
Lincelles,  i,  21 
Lincoln  (Mrs.),  ii,  23 

Abraham  (Pres.).  i,  319;  ii,  21-23, 
28,  38,  48,  51,  52,  55,  154,  187, 
188 
Linlithgow  (Earl),  53 
Linnaeus,  i,  40 

Lippencott  &  Co.,  J.  B.,  i,  205 
Lispenard,  Leonard,  i,  20 
Listen,  i,  193 


332 


INDEX 


Living,  Thurstan,  i,  50,  51 
Livingston  (Chancellor),  i,  206,  ii, 
250 

(Lord),  i,  53 

Alexander  (Rev.),  i,  54 

Alexander  (Lord),  i,  54 

Alexander  (Sir),  i,  53 

Alexander,  53,  54 

Alida,  i,  56 

Archibald,  i,  53 

Arms,  i,  54,  57 

Catharine,  i,  56,  57 

Clermont,  i,  27 

Cornelia,  i,  56 

Cornelius,  i,  56 

Edward  P.  (Lt.-Gov.),  ii,  229 

Elizabeth,  53 

Estelle,  i,  25;  ii,  230 

Eugene  A.,  ii,  218 

Eupheme,  i,  53 

Family,  i,  50 

Gilbert,  i,  56,  57,  69,  85,  86 

Helen,  i.  57,  59,  69,  85,  86 

Henry,  i,  56,  57 

Isabel,  i,  54 

Jacobus,  i,  56 

James  (Sir),  i,  53 

James,  i,  56 

Janet,  i,  69 

Joanna,  i,  56 

John  (Lord),  i,  53 

John  (Rev.),  i,  54,  55,  57 

John  (Sir),  52,  53 

John,  i,  20,  53-56 

John  Swift,  i,  25,  26,  57,  159,  167; 
ii,  187,  229 

Manor,  i,  55;    First  Lord  of,  i,  26 

Margaret,  i,  54,  56 

Marion,  i,  53 

Marv,  i,  27 

Patrick,  52 

Philip,  i,  20,  55,  56 

Robert,    i,    19,    51,    53-57,    83-86 

Robert  Edward,  i,  23 

Robert  Gilbert,  i,  56,  57,  59,  69, 
85,  86,  206 

Robert,    R.     (Chancellor),    i,    27 

Samuel,  i,  56 

William  (Lord),  53,  54 

William  (Sir),  52 

William,  i,  56 
Longstreet  (Gen.),  ii,  34,  85,  88,  89, 

155 
Loockermans,  Anneken,  i,  42,  43,   44, 
46,  47,  48,  49 

Family,  i,  47 

Govert,  i,  42,  47 

Jacob  Janse,  i,  47 

Jan,  i,  47 

Marritje,  i,  48 

Pieter  Janse,  i,  47 
Lookout  Mountain,  ii.  75,  152 
Lepers,  Johanna,  i,  68 
Lossee,  John  E.  (Dr.),  ii,  263 
Lubberts,  Cornelia,  i,  17,  18 
Lutz  (Prof.),  i,  108,  109,  110,  140 


Lyon  (Col.),  ii,  28 
Macdonald,  ii,  77,  166 
Mac  Feorais,  i,  58 
Mac  Pheadris,  Archibald  (Capt.),  i, 
58 
Catharine,  i,  57,  59 
Family,  i,  58 
Gilbert,  i,  58,  59 
John,  i,  57-59 
Mary,  i,  58 
Su.sanna,  i,  58,  59 
William  (Capt.),  i,  58 
Magruder  (Gen.),  ii,  64,  166 
Mahone  (Gen.),  ii,  137,  178 
Makemie,  Francis  (Rev.),  i,  73 
Manassas  Plains,  ii,  148 
Mansfield  (Gen.),  ii,  22 
March,  John,  ii,  261 
Marcy  (Secretary),  ii,  188 
Margaret,  Queen  of  Scotland,  i,  50 
Marlborough  (Duke  of),  Li,  69 
Martin,  Howard  Townsend,  i,  27 
Martens,  Jossine,  i,  17 
Marvin,  G.  E.  (Adj.-Gen.),  i,  323 
Mary,  Queen  of  England,  ii,  244 
Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  i,  54;  ii,  180 
Mason  and  Slidell,  ii,  38 
Mason,  John  M.,  i,  179 
Massachusetts  Sixth,  ii,  20 
Matsell,  George  W.,  Chief  of  Police, 

i,  187,  312 
Matthews,  i,  193 
Mannley  (Dr.),  i,  135 
Magila,  Peter,  i,  280 
Mc  Allister  (Gen.),  ii,  175,  238 
Mc  Clellan  (Gen.),  ii,  23,  29,  30,  40, 
41,  43,  44,  49,  58,  85,  86,  88, 
89,  95,  98,  102,  159,  170,  189, 
198,  204 
Mc  demand,  ii,  79,  83 
Mc  Curdy,  Chas.  N.  (Hon.),  i,  234 

note 
Mc  Dowell  (Mrs.),  ii,  25 

Irwin  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,   22,   23,   25, 
28,  184 
Mc  Evers,  Charles,  ii,  212 
Mc  Gill,  John  (Capt.),  i,  173 
Mc  Laws,  ii,  137 

Meade  (Gen.),  i,  311;  ii,  56,  74,  95, 
97,  99,  106,  107,  109,  113,  114, 
129,    131,    140,    144,    153,    155, 
156,    168,    170,    171,    179,    189 
Mechan  (Col.),  ii,  261 
Menteith  of  Carse,  52,  53 
Mercy,  Field  Marshal,  i,  26 
Meyer,  Z.  S.,  ii,  223 
Miles,  Nelson  A.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  184 
Military  Circular,  i,  302 
MiUtary  laws,  i,  215,  216 
Military     laws    of     England,     i,     277 
Military  Reports,  i,  249  et  seq.,  i,  272 
Military    systems,     Austria,    i,     241; 
<•   France,    i,    243:      Holland,    i, 
246;     German   States,   i,    241; 
Norwav,    i,    238;     Prussia,    i, 
238;      Russia,     i,     242,     279; 


INDEX 


333 


Sardinia,  i,  246,  279;  Spain, 
i,  283;  Sweden,  ,i,  237;  Swit- 
zerland, i,  278;  Tunis,  i,  247, 
Turkey,  i,  247;  Tuscany,  i, 
246 
Militia  Reform  in  New  York,  i,  249; 

Reorganization,  i,  215 
Millard,  C.  W.,  ii,  228 
Mindil  (Gen.),  ii,  30 
Mitchell  (Gen.),  ii,  42 

James  L.,  i,  292 
Monroe  (Pres.),  i,  95,  98,  99;    ii,  188 
Montgomery  (Gen.),  i,  206 
Moore  (Col.),  ii,  30 

John,  i,  36 

William  A.,  i,  212 
Moray,  Alexander  (Earl  of),  i,  30 
Morean,  ii,  134,  188 
Morgan  (Gen.),  ii,  103,  241 

Gov.,  i,  319;   ii,  20,  24,  26,  30,  38. 
46,  52,  53 
Morris,  E.  Joy  (Hon.),  i,  234  note 

Lewis,  i,  61 
Morrison,  John  W.,  ii,  239 
Moselekatse,  ii,  193 
•  Mountain  Howitzers,  i,  273;  Batteries 
i,    219,    220;     Carriage   for,    i, 
220,  307 
Mulford,  James  (Lt.  Col.),  i,  270,  296 
Munfordsville,  ii,  73,  74 
Munson,  Alonzo  (Judge),  i,  179 
Murray,  Randolph  (Earl  of),  i,  51 
Muscovy  (Prince  of),  i,  65 
Nanfan,  Lieutenant  Governor,  i,  19 
Nap:vleon,  i,  255,  262,  286,  316;  ii,  70, 
71,     141,     160,    161,    170,    181, 
188,    191,    192,    193,   201,   265 
Nashville,  ii,  75,  76 
Nassau  Blues,  i,  22 
Nassau  (Landgrave  of),  i  65 
National  Capitol,  Burning  of,  i,  99 
Nazareth,  Brothers  of,  ii,  219 
Neal,  de  Lancey,  i,  191 

Sam,  i,  143 
Neville's  Cross,  Battle  of,  i,  52 
New-Berg  (Duke  of),  i,  65 
New  Orleans,  Battle  of,  i,  100 
Nicolas  I  (Emperor),  i,  281 
Nicoll,  Arms,  i,  75 

Benjamin,  i,  74 

Catharine  or  Charity,  i,  74,  75 

Edward,  i,  74,  75 

Family,  i,  70 

Frances,  i,  74,  75 

Henry,  i,  74 

Jeremias,  i,  74 

John,  i,  74,  75 

Margaret,  i,  72 

Mary,   i,   31,    46,   49,    74,    75,   81 

Matthias  (Judge),  i,  72 

Rensselaer,  i,  74,  80 

WilUam,  i,  31,  46,  49,  72-75,  81 
Nicolls  (Gov.),  i,  71,  83 
Nichols,  Roger,  i,  20 

William,  i,  20 
Nicholls,  i,  17,  42 


Nicholls,  Catharine,  i,  70 

Elizabeth,  i,  70 

Ferdinand,  i,  70 

Henry,  i,  70 

John,  i,  70 

Matthias  (Rev.),  i,  71 

Matthias,  i,  70,  71 

Richard  (Col.  and  Gov.),  i,  71,  80 
Nicholson,  Lieut. -Gov.,  i,  63 

J.  W.  A.  (Rear  Admiral),  ii,'84 
Ninnix,  Leonard,  i,  66 
Noggyen,  i,  76 
Noonan,  Thomas,  ii,  238 
Norwood,  Carlisle,  i,  182 
Nott,  J.  C.  (Dr.),  i,  144,  145 
Nutter,  Ann,  i,  57 
O'Connor  (Mr.),  ii,  228 

M..  ii,  220 
Olcott  (Mr.),  ii,  238 
"Old  Hickory,"  i,  99 
Oglevie  (Rev.),  i,  20 
Oliver,  Paul  A.  (Brig. -Gen.),  ii,  184 

R.  W.  (Rev.),  i,  225;  ii,  16,  227 
Omar  Pasha,  ii,  195 
Oriskany,  i,  171 
Osborn,  Danvers  (Sir),  i,  37 
Oscar  I  of  Sweden,  ii,  16 
Ottenbecks,  Alida,  i,  66 
Oudenarde,  i,  14 

Owen,  Josh  T.  (Brig. -Gen.),  ii,  232 
Paine,  W.  H.  (Capt.),  ii,  113,S114, 

128 
Paris,  Count  of,  ii,  177,  265 
Parma,  Duke  of,  i,  14 
Pasraat,  Maria,  i,  77 
Patroon's  Charter,  i,  77 
Pattison,  Robert  E.  (Gov.),  ii,  239 
Paul  I  (Emperor),  i,  280 
Pawling,  Albert,  i,  69 
Pemberton  (Gen.),  ii,  76,  119 
Pearson,  Frederic  (Conamander),  ii, 

184 
Peck  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  30,  108.  232 
Perryville  or  Chaplin  Hills,  ii,-74 
Petersburg,  ii,  35,  59 
Peter  the  Great,  i,  280 
Pickering,  Thomas,  i,  137 
Pickett  (Gen.),  ii,  156,  179 
Philipsburgh,  Manor  of,  i,  62 
Philipse,  Adolph,  i,  61 

Adolphus,  i,  62,  63,  64 

Anna  or  Annetye,  i,  61,  63,  64 

Arms,  i,  64 

Eva,  i,  43,  44,  62.  63 

Family,  i,  62 

Frederick,  i,  43,  61-64 

Manor,  i,  62 

PhiUp,  i,  62-64 

Rombout,  i,  64 
Phillips,  William  (Rev.),  ii,  212 
Pierce,  Franklin  (Pres.),  ii,  187,  188 

(Mr.),  i,  189 
Pine,  John  B.,  ii,  240 
Pinkiefield,  Battle  of,  i,  54 
P*ioche,  Antoine,  i,  35 
Plantius,  Joanna,  i,  66 


334 


INDEX 


Pleasanton,  Alfred  (Maj.-Gen.).  ii.  109, 
111,  120,  121,  123,  167,  173, 
184 

Poelvaech,  Antoinette,  i,  15 

Polk  (Gen.),  ii,  73 
(Pres.)  ii,  188 

Polotski,  Simeon,  i,  280 

Pope,  John  (Maj.-Gen.),' ii,  42,  44,  48, 

79,  85,    86,     157,     183,     185, 
203,  204 

Portalis  (Count),  i,  162 
Porteous,  Euphame,  i,  30 

Patrick,  i,  30 
Porter,  Fitz  John,  ii,  177 
Post  (Dr.),  i,  94 
Potomac,  Army  of  the,  i,  26;  ii, 

56,  58 
Potter  (Bishop),  i,  127 
Potts,  J.  Herbert,  ii,  239 
Power,  i,  144,  145 
Preble,  George  H.  (Rear  Admiral), 

ii,  177,  183 
Prentiss  (Gen.),  ii,  79,  82,  120 
Preston,  ii,  83 
Preswick  (Mr.),  i,  99 
Price,  ii,  205 
Proper,  i,  115 
Provoost,  David,  i,  18 

(Rev.),  i,  20 
Prue  (Mr.),  i,  195 
Pniyn,  Robert  H.,  i,  300,  301,  304 
Ramsey,  Nicol,  i,  54 
Rathbone  (Capt.),  i,  194 
Ravenna,  Battle  of,  i,  35 
Read,  John  Meredith  (Brig.-Gen.), 
ii,  184 

Philip,  i,  58 

Reade,  John,  i,  57 

Joseph  (Hon.),  i,  21,  61,  64 

Robert,  i,  171 

Sarah,  i,  21,  22,  61,  64 
Recorder,  Last  royal,  i,  33 
Reid,  Mayne  (Capt.),  ii,  175 

Whitelaw,  ii,  184 
Reno  (Gen.),  ii,  86 
Rensselaerwyck,  Manor  of,  i,  74,  78, 

80,  81,  85 

Reynolds  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  105,  128, 

155 
Richbell,  John,  i,  63 
Richmond,  Hoisting  the  flag  over,  i, 

27;    Taking  of,  ii,  34 
Ricker,  Richard,  ii,  212 
Ricquaers,  i,  13 
Riddell,  Walter  (Sir),  i,   31 
Ridley  (Mr.),  i,  207 
Rifle  Tactics,  New  System,  i,  307 
Riggs,  Richard  (Capt.),  i,  31 
Ring,  Zeb.,  i,  178;  ii,  261 
Ritsmoy  (Rev.),  i,  20 
Rivers,  William  C.  (Hon.),  i,  234 

note 
Robert  III  of  Scotland,  i,  52,  53 
Robinson,  i,  191 
Rodenbough,  J.  F.  (Brig.-Gen.),  ii, 

184,  185 


Rogers,  Nehemiah,  ii,  212 
Romaine,  Ben.,  i,  178 

Worthington,  i,  178 
Roosebeke,  Battle  of,  i,  13 
Roosevelt,  Robert  B.,  ii,  184 
Rosecrans,    William    S.    (Maj.-Gen.), 
i,  310,  311;  u,  62,  75,  76,  80, 
80,  87,  168,  170,  178,  184,  205 
Rose  Hill,  i,  28,  29,   30,   31,  33,   174. 

205,  208;  ii,  208 
Ross,  John  (Earl  of),  53 
Rothermel,  A.  H.,  ii,  247 
Rothsay  (Duke  of),  52 
Roux  (Dr.),  i,  140 
Ruggles,  Samuel  B.  (Hon.),  i,  93 
Rutsen,  Jacob,  Jr.,  i,  56 

John,  i,  69 
Saeger,  William,  King  of  Arms,  i,  75 
St.  Elizabeth  Convent,  Ghent,  i,  14 
St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  College,  i. 

206 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Madalin,  i,  206 
St.  Pere,  Nicole,  i,  35 
Sas,  i,  66 

Savoy  (Duke  of),  ii,  156 
Saxe  (Marshal),  ii,  72 
Saxe-Weimar,  ii,  134 
Saxe  ii,  166 
Schell  (Mr.),  ii,  250 
Schenck,  ii,  159 
Schepmoes,  Dirck  Jansen,  i,  68 
Schermerhorn,  E.  H.,  i,  293 
Schofield,  ii,  189 
Schourdin,  ii,  123 
Schrassens,  Jacobina,  i,  76 
Schrick,  Paulas,  i,  18 
Schroeder,  Francis  (Hon.),  i,  234 

note 
Schuyler  (Gen.),  ii,  241 

Alida,  i,  55,  56,  78,  83-86 

Arent,  i,  83 

Arms,  i,  85 

Brant,  i,  83 

Catharine,  i,  19 

Family,  i,  83 

George,  i,  147;  ii,  21 

Gertrude,  i,  45,  83,  84,  86 

Gysbert,  i,  S3 

Johannes,  i,  83,  84 

John,  i,  45 

Margaret,  i,  83,  84 

Peter,  i,  19,  80,  83 

Philip    Pietirse  (Capt.),  i,  45,  55, 
83-86 

Phillip,  i,  83,  84 

Sybilla,  i,  84 
Scipio,  ii,  201 

Scofield,  Jacob  S.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  226 
Scotland,  Civil  wars  in,  i,  51 
Scott,  ii,  27 

(Mr.)  i,  31 

Winfield  (Gen.),  33 

ii,  23 
Scotts'.  Nine  Hundred,  ii,  30 
Sedgwick,  (Gen.),  ii,  105,  126,  128, 
130,  131,  132,  136-139,  143 


INDEX 


335 


Selinus,  Henricus  (Dr.),  i,  63 

Selyns  (Dominie),  i,  48 

Seward,  ii,  22 

Seymour,  Horatio  (Gov.),  i.  235,  271; 

ii,  53 
Shaler,  Alexander  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii. 

184 
Shaw,  John,  i,  74 
Shepley  (Gen.),  ii,  33 
Sheridan  (Gen.),  u,  35,  72,  168,  174, 

189 
Sherman  (Gen.),  i,  311;    ii,  20,  79,  80, 
83,       87,       168,       188,       189, 
206 
Shiloh,  u,  73,  78,  80-83 
Sickles,  Daniel  E.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  36, 
106,    107,   109,   118.    119,  122, 
128,   132,   134,   140,   150,   155, 
184 
Sill,  John,  i,  293 
Skinner,  William  (Rev.),  i,  45 
Slocum,    Henry    W.    (Maj.-Gen.),    ii, 
52,  106,  107,  109,  HI,  113-115, 
119,      129,      131,      144,      173 
Sloughter  (Gov.),  i,  72 
SlumiQon,  Alexander,  i,  29 
Smiley,  E.  W.,  ii,  239 
Smith  (Dr.),  i,  194 
Gilbert  (Dr.),  i,  200 
Kirby  (Gen.),  ii,  85 
L.  Ward  (Brig.-Gen.), 'i,  217,  226, 

227,  229,  233,  235 
W.  F.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,  184 
William  (Judge),  i,  20 
William,  i,  19 
South  Mountain,  Battle  of,  ii,  44,  85, 

170 
Sparks,  (Gov.),  i,  64 

Maria,  i,  64 
Sprat,  John,  i,  18 
Staats,  Catalina,  i,  45 
Samuel  (Dr.),  i,  45 
Stamp  Act  Riot,  i,  40 
Stanton,  ii,  24,  32,  174 
Stewart  (Mr.),  ii,  257 

Pinckney,  i,  159;  ii,  261 
Stevens,  Samuel  (Adj. -Gen.),  i,  216, 

217,  218,  220 
Stirling  (Earl  of),  i,  172 

Siege  of,  51 
Stoneman  (Gen.),  ii,  104,  1 10 
Stone  River,  ii,  74,  80 
Story,  Fred,  i,  117 
Stryker,  William  S.  (Adj.-Gen.),  ii, 

51 
Stuart,  J.  E.  B.  (Gen.),  ii,  103,  151, 

154,  164 
Stuning,  Agnes,  i,  65 
Stuvvesant,    i,    62,    66,    79,    83,    85 
Colonel,  i,  20 
Jerry,  i,  158 
Nicholas  William,  i,  186 
Petrus  (Gov.),  i,  18,  56 
Sumner  (Gen.),  ii,  95 
Sumter,  ii,  20 
Suwarrow,  ii,  192 


Swaaskens  (Advocate),  i,  76 

Swain,  James  B.  (Col.),  ii,  301 

Swarthout  (Mr.),  i,  188 

Sweeney,  T.  R.  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  311 

Swift,  Foster  (Dr.),  ii,  26 

Swinton,  John,  i,  136;  ii,  184 

Symes,  J.  Cleve  (Lieut.),  u,  38 

Tamourlane,  ii,  192,  193 

Talbooth,  The,  i,  29 

Tarbell,  Jonathan  (Col.),  i,  295,  296, 

297    299    301 
Taylor    (P'res.),'  i,    219;    ii,    187,   188 
Teator,  Philip  H.,  i,  223 
Telegraphy,  Mihtary,  i,  258 
Teller,  Andrew,  i,  43 
Temple,  R.  E.  (Adj.-Gen.),  i,  213 
Terwilliger,  James,  i,  322 
Thirty  Years'  War,  ii,  68 
Thom,  Jotham,  i,  56 
Thomas,    George    H.    (Maj.-Gen.),    i, 
136;  ii,  22,  72,  76-78,  168,  183, 
185,    188-190,   203,    207 
Thompson,  Anna  Maria  Martina,  i,  26 
Clifford  (Col.),  u,  123 
Samuel  C,  i,  293 
William  (Capt.),  i,  26 
Tivoh,  i,  205,  et  seq. 
Tobast,  i,  14 

Toler,  James  Boorman,  i,  27 
John  Watts  de  Peyster,  i,  27 
Julia  Anna,  i,  27 
William  E.,  i,  27 
Tom,  Black,  i,  105,  115,  129,  130,  157 
Tompkins,  W.  W.  (Capt.),  letter  of, 

i,  315 
Torstenson,  ii,  69,  72,  106 
Tower,  Z.  B.  (Maj.-Gen.),  u,  184 
Townsend,  Frederick  (Brig.-Gen.), 
i,  304 
George  Alfred,  ii,  184 
Trainque,  Frances  (Mrs.),  i,  25 
Mammie,  i,  92,  93,  94,  95,  105, 

132,  169;  ii,  261 
Peter,  i,  105 
Transylvania  (Prince  of),  i,  65 
Traun  (Gen.),  ii,  62 
Tremaine,  H.  Edwin  (Brig.-Gen.), 

ii,  133,  134,  184 
Turenne  (Gen.),  ii,  192,  193 
Turner's  Gap,  ii,  86 
Tyler  (Pres.),  ii,  25,  187,  188 
Uniform,  Militia,  i,  307 
Uniform,  State,  i,  274 
Vale,  Sarah,  ii,  244 
Van  Beaumont,  Anna,  i,  79 
Van  Bruggen,  Catharine,  i,  80 
Van  Buren  (Pres.),  ii,  187 
Van  Byler,  Hildegonda,  i,  78 
Van  Cortlandt,    Anna,    i,    32,    37-39, 
43,  45,  46,  48,  84,  86 
Arms,  i,  47 
Catharina,  i,  43,  45,  64 
Cornelia,  i,  43,  45 
Elizabeth,  i,  45 
Family,  i,  42 
Frederick,  i,  43 


336 


IXDEX 


Van  Cortlandt,  Fytie  or  Sophia,  i,  43 

Gertrude,  i,  45,  69 

Jacobus,  i,  20,  43,  44,  46,  48,  63 

Johannes,  i,  43,  45 

Manor,  i,  44 

Margaret,  i,  20,  21,  43,  44,  48 

Margrietje,  i,  45 

Maria,  i,  45 

Marritje,  i,  43,  45,  46,  49,  79,  80 

Mary,  i,  43 

Olof,  i,  45 

Olof   Stevense    (Capt.),    i,    42-44, 
46,  48,  49,  64,  79 

Philip,  i,  19,  45 

Pierre  (Lt.  Gov.),  i,  22 

Pierre,  i,  19,  56 

Stephanus  (De  Heer),  i,  37,  43-46, 
48,  63,  79,  83,  84,  86 

Steven  or  Stephen,  i,  42-46 
Vandenburgh,  O.,  i,  292 
Van  der  Hulst,  Abraham,  i,  16 
Van  de  Voorde,  Joanne,  i,  15,  16,  17 

Pierre,  i,  15 
Van  Dorn,  ii,  205 
Van  Erp,  Sandrina,  i,  76 
Van  Fredenburg  (Adj.),  i,  213 
Van  Hauve,  Christian,  i,  15 
Van  Hecke,  Jossine,  i,  15 
Van  Hiesche,  Elizabeth,  i,  15 
Van  Home,  CorneUus,  i,  56 
Van  Imyck,  Swene,  i,  76 
Van  Kesteren,  Pietronella,  i,  16,  17 
Van  Lupoel,  Derykebia,  i,  76 
Van  Patten,  Gerrit  William  (Lt.),  i, 

76 
Van   Rensselaer,    Anna,  i,  46,  49,    74, 
75,  76.  SO,  81 

Arms,  i,  82 

Bete,  i,  76 

Claes,  i,  76 

Eleonora,  i,  78 

Engel,  i,  76 

Family,  i,  76 

Geesje,  i,  76 

Hendrick,  i,  76,  77,  80,  81 

Hendrick  Wolters,  i,  76 

Hillegonda,  i,  78 

Jan  Baptist,  i,  78,  79,  81,  85 

Jeremiah  (Col.),  i,  43,  46,  49,  74, 
79,  80 

Jeremias,  i,  79,  80,  81 

Jeremy,  i,  81 

Johannes,  i,  76,  78,  79,  80,  81 

Johannes  Hendrick,  i,  76 

Kilaen,  i,  45,  74,  76,  77,  79-81 

Maria,  i,  77,  78,  80 

Nelle  Maria,  i,  81 

Nicolaus  (Rev.),  i,  55,  78,  79,  84 

Rikert,  i,  78 

Susanna,  i,  78 

Walter  Hendrick,  i,  76 

Walter  Yans,  i,  76 

Wolter,  i,  76 
Van  Rysoort,  Catharine,  i,  66 
Van  Schaick,  Anna,  i,  45 
Van  Slichtenhorst,  Arent,  i-  85 


Van  Slichtenhorst,    Brant,  i,  85 

Brant  Arentse,  i,  85 

Family,  i,  85 

Gerret,  i,  85 

Margareta,  i,  83-86 
Van  Twiller,  EUzabeth,  i,  79 

Petronella,  i,  81 

Rykert,  i,  77 
Van  Valkenburgh,  R.  B.  (Col.),  i,  303 
Van  Vechten,  Abraham  (Col.),  i,  215, 

268,  300;  ii,  17,  28 
Van  Vrenokimi,  Nelle,  i,  76,  77 
Van  Wely,  Anna,  i,  78,  79 

Jan,  i,  78 

Susanna,  i,  78 
Varick,  Richard,  i,  97 
Vauban,  ii,  193,  193 
Vermylia  (Mr.),  i,  178 
Verplanck,  Jacobus,  i,  84 
Vestris  (Mme.),  i,  193 
Vetch,  Samuel  (Col.),  i,  56 
Vicksburg,  ii,  190 
Vodges,  Israel  (Brig.-Gen.),  i,  134: 

ii,  184 
Voltaire,  i,  129 
Volunteer   Fire   Department,   i,    180, 

et  seq. 
Von  Moltke,  ii,  196 
Wainwright  (Bishop),  i,  127 

(Gen.),  i,  222;  ii,  26 

Charles    S.    (Brig.-Gen.),    i,    313: 
ii,  38,  43,  44,  49,  56,  184 

William    P.    (Brig.-Gen.),    i,    131. 
136,   232,   292,   299,   302,   308, 
313;    ii,    17,    20,    38,    173,    184 
Walcutt,  William  (Capt.),  ii,  245 
Walden,  John  M.,  ii,  228 
Wallace,  W.  H.  L.  (Gen.),  ii,  79 
Wallen,  H.  B.  (Brig.-Gen.),  ii,  184 
Wamsley,  Sinicoe,  ii,  227 
Warren,  ii,  35,  128,  141,  155 

(Gen.),  i,  311;  ii,  167,  184,  189 

House,  i,  58 

Peter  (Admiral  Sir),  i,  37  . 
Washington,  George,  ii,  189,  193, 

240,  241 
Washington  Institute,  i,  106,  133 

et  seq.,  155 
Watt,  Adam,  i,  30,  31 

Alice,  i,  31 

Janet,  i,  29 

John,  i,  20,  29,  30,  31,  32,  33, 
171 

Katherine,  i,  29 

Margaret,  i,  29,  31 

Patrick,  i,  30 
Watts,  Alexander,  i,  171 

Ann,  i,  31,  32,  34 

Arms,  i,  34 

Charles,  i,  171 

EUzabeth,     i,     34;     ii,     223,     230 

Essex,  i,  171 

Estate,  Chenango  Co.,  i,  111 

Family,  i,  29 

George,  i,  33,  115,  176,  177 

Gordon,  i,  171 


INDEX 


337 


Watts,  Henry,  i,  33 
James,  i,  33 
Jane   34 

John'  (Capt.),  i,  100,  101 
John  (Dr.),  i,  93,  172 
John  (Hon.),  i,  25 
John,  Jr.  (Hon.),  i,  33,  34,  39,  40, 
46,  48,  49,  75,  82,  84,  86,  93, 
97,  165,  166,  168,  175,  ii;    211- 
213,   215,   216,   220,   223,   230, 
231,   234,    235,    240,   247;     the 
passing  of,  i,  165 
John,   Sen.    (Hon.),   i,   28,   30-33, 
37,  39,  45,  46,  48,  49,  75,  82, 
84,  86,  174;  u,  231 
Justine,  i,  168 
Margaret,  i,  32;  ii,  211 
Marv,  i,  31,  32 

Mary  Justina,   i,    25,    34,    39,    40, 
46,  48,  49,  75,  82,  84,  86;  ii, 
216,  223,  231,  234 
Ridley,  i,  171,  172,  173 
Robert  (Dr.),  i,  171 
Robert  (Major),  i,  33 
Robert,  i,  31,  32,  46,  49,  75,  81, 
93-95,  98,  169,  171,  172,  177; 
ii,  212 
Ross,  i,  171 

Stephen,  i,  32,  34,  94,  95,  101,  177 
Susanna,  i,  32,  34 
Webb.  Alexander  S.  (Maj.-Gen.),   184 
Webster,  ii.  82,  84 
Weed,  Thurlow,  i,  227;  ii,  21 
Weitzel  (Gen.),  ii.  33,  34 
Weller,  Sam,  i,  160 
Wellington  (Duke  of),  i,  316;  ii    161. 

166,  193 
Wentworth  (Lt.  Gov.),  i,  5S 
T^ennine  (Gov.),  i,  58 
Sarah,  i.  58 
Werts,  George  T.  (Gov.),  ii,  238 


Wheeler  (Gen.),  ii,  103 

Whipple, William  D.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii,184 

White,  George,  i,  70 

Susanna,  i,  70 
White  Plains,  Battle  of,  i,  38 
Whitmarsh,  Robert,  i,  23 
Whittingham  (Bishop),  i,  127 
Wickham  (Dr.),  i,  107,  108 

(Miss.)  i,  38 
Wilder,  J.  T.  (Col.),  ii,  74 
Wilderness,  Battle  of,  ii,  59,  71,  125, 

128,  132,  136,  149 
Wilkins,  Lewis,  ii,  261 

Lewi.s  Morris,  i,  181,  186,  191 
Willard  (Col.),  i,  218 
Willet,  Ann,  i,  40 

John,  i,  40 
William  III,  i,  274;  ii,  69,  244 
Williams,  ii,  26,  86 
Williamsburg,  Battle  of,  ii,  30 
Wilson,  ii,  35 
Winthrop  (Gov.),  i,  55 
Wood,  Anthony,  ii,  254 
Woodhall,  Lawrence,  i,  70 

Mary,  i,  70 
Woods,  James  H.,  i,  319;  ii,  21 

ii,  53 
Worth  (Mr.),  i,  153 
Wotton  (Capt.),  i,  147 
Wright,  Horatio  G.  (Maj.-Gen.),  ii, 
174,  184,  189 

Silas  (Gov.),  i,  211,  212 

ii,  35 
Wurmser,  ii,  161 
Xinscha-Bandi,  ii,  193 
Yardlev,  E.  T.,  ii,  235 
Yates,  i    193 
York  (Duke  of),  i,  67 
ZoUicoffer,  ii,  75 
Ziethen,  ii,  144 


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